After section 10 of the Principal Act , the following sections are inserted in Division 1:

10A.     State of the industry report

(1)  The Regulator may prepare a report on the state of the electricity supply industry (the state of the industry report ).

(2)  The Regulator is to prepare a state of the industry report –

(a) on the Regulator's own initiative; or

(b) if directed to do so by the energy Minister and the Minister assigned the administration of the Economic Regulator Act 2009 .

(3)  A direction under subsection (2)(b) to prepare a state of the industry report may include the terms of reference for that state of the industry report.

(4)  The Regulator is to cause a copy of the state of the industry report to be –

(a) laid before each House of Parliament within 7 sitting-days after preparing it; and

(b) made available to members of the public in such a manner as the Regulator considers appropriate.

10B.     Network reliability report

(1)  At least once in every 3-year period, the Regulator is to conduct a review into the reliability of network services.

(2)  After conducting a review under subsection (1) , the Regulator is to prepare a report on the findings of the review (the network reliability report ).

(3)  The Regulator is to conduct a review under subsection (1)  –

(a) on the Regulator's own initiative; or

(b) if directed to do so by the energy Minister and the Minister assigned the administration of the Economic Regulator Act 2009 .

(4)  A direction under subsection (3)(b) to conduct a review under subsection (1) may include the terms of reference for the network reliability report that is to be prepared in respect of the review.

(5)  The Regulator is to cause a copy of the network reliability report to be –

(a) laid before each House of Parliament within 7 sitting-days after preparing it; and

(b) made available to members of the public in such a manner as the Regulator considers appropriate.

10C.     Price comparison report

(1)  In this section –

pricing Minister means the Minister assigned the administration of Division 4 of Part 3.

(2)  The Regulator –

(a) may prepare a report into the comparison of electricity prices available to small customers across Australian jurisdictions (the price comparison report ); and

(b) is to prepare a report into the comparison between the prices of a prepayment meter system and all other relevant retail electricity prices for small customers in Tasmania (the prepayment price comparison report ).

(3)  The Regulator is to prepare a price comparison report –

(a) on the Regulator's own initiative; or

(b) if directed to do so by the pricing Minister and the Minister assigned the administration of the Economic Regulator Act 2009 .

(4)  A direction under subsection (3)(b) to prepare a price comparison report may include the terms of reference for that report.

(5)  The Regulator is to prepare a prepayment price comparison report annually.

(6)  The Regulator is to cause a copy of each report prepared under subsection (2) to be –

(a) laid before each House of Parliament within 7 sitting-days after preparing it; and

(b) made available to members of the public in such a manner as the Regulator considers appropriate.