| Abstract
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Under the Australian Energy Market Commiss … Under the Australian Energy Market Commission Establishment (Consumer Advocacy Panel) Amendment Act 2007 (the Act) the primary role of the Consumer Advocacy Panel (the Panel) is to allocate grants to fund advocacy on behalf of consumers of electricity and [[natural gas]] in relation to policy, rules and regulation that govern the national electricity and gas markets. Under the Act, the Panel’s functions include: to develop, and submit for the approval of the MCE, guidelines for the allocation of grants for consumer advocacy projects and research projects for the benefit of consumers of electricity or natural gas (or both); and to prepare, and submit for the approval of the MCE, guidelines for the assistance of applicants for grants for consumer advocacy projects and research projects for the benefit of consumers of electricity or natural gas (or both;) The following funding criteria and application guidelines are published pursuant to the Panel's functions under the Act and will be used in the assessment of applications for funding of advocacy or research projects. Clause 45 of the Act requires that the guidelines for grant allocation be consistent with criteria promulgated by the Ministerial Council on Energy (the MCE) in the Australian Market Commission Establishment (Variation) Regulations 2007 (the Regulations). ation) Regulations 2007 (the Regulations).
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