Final Decision on proposed changes to Condition 25(1) of SONI TSO Licence and related SONI connection and use of system documents: Cross-Border Framework for Connections
| Published date | 20 March 2024 |
| Year | 2024 |
| Energy Sector | Electricity Networks |
Final Decision on request for changes
to Condition 25(1) of SONI TSO
Licence and related SONI connection
and use of system documents: Cross-
Border Framework for Connections
20 March 2024
About the Utility Regulator
Utility Regulator is the independent non-ministerial government department responsible for
regulating Northern Ireland’s electricity, gas, water and sewerage industries, to promote the
short and long-term interests of consumers.
We are not a policy-making department of government, but we make sure that the energy and
water utility industries in Northern Ireland are regulated and developed within ministerial policy
as set out in our statutory duties.
We are governed by a Board of Directors and are accountable to the Northern Ireland
Assembly through financial and annual reporting obligations.
We are based at Queens House in the centre of Belfast. The Chief Executive leads a
management team of directors representing each of the key functional areas in the
organisation: Corporate Affairs, Markets and Networks. The staff team includes economists,
engineers, accountants, utility specialists, legal advisors and administration professionals.
Abstract
Audience
Consumer impact
This document sets out our final decision following publication of and receipt of two non-
confidential responses to a minded-to decision (published on 5 December 2023) on a request
(the Request) for changes to: (i) Condition 25 of the SONI TSO licence (the C25(1) request)
and (ii) various standard connection and use of system documents used by SONI (the
Amendment request). The changes are requested to facilitate a connection to the Northern
Ireland transmission system (NITS) in respect of generation taking place in the Republic of
Ireland. In that sense the request involves discussion of what has been called the “cross-
border framework” for connections, as reflected in Condition 27 of the SONI TSO licence.
Our final decision confirms: (i) the minded-to decision refusing the C25(1) request; and (ii) the
Amendment request as not falling for determination given our (final) decision on the C25(1)
request.
We expect that those particularly interested in this document will (apart from the entity
requesting the changes) include: DfE; SONI; NIE Networks Limited (NIE); EirGrid plc
(EirGrid); the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU); and those with an interest in
generator connections to the NITS.
The final decision involves no change to the applicable regulatory arrangements implicated in
the Request and there is thus no specific consumer impact. The minded-to decision was
informed by reference to our principal objective to act in the interests of consumers. The final
decision (set out in this document) is similarly informed.
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