17.—(1) Where a NIROC, if issued, will be issued to a licensed supplier pursuant to Article 14(4), the references in Article 16(4) to the operator of the generating station shall be treated as references to the Company; but Article 16(4)(b) shall not apply.
(2) The Authority shall not issue a NIROC in respect of any electricity generated by a particular generating station in a particular month if the Great Britain Authority has previously issued a certificate under section 32B of the Electricity Act in respect of any such electricity and whether or not any such certificate previously issued has been revoked.
(3) The Authority may refuse to issue a NIROC in any case where the Authority—
(a)considers that the declaration in Article 16(4) is not accurate in relation to all or part of the electricity in respect of which the Authority is considering issuing the NIROC;
(b)except in the case of a NIROC certifying the matters within Article 54(2ZB) and (2ZC) of the Energy Order, has reason to believe that the electricity in respect of which the Authority is considering issuing the NIROC was consumed in circumstances which resulted in all or part of the electricity not having been supplied by an electricity supplier to customers in Northern Ireland; or,
(c)is not satisfied that the operator of any generating station to which the NIROC relates has, during the relevant month, complied with any condition to which accreditation of the relevant generating station is subject.
(4) For the purposes of Article 16(3), where information regarding the fuel used by any generating station to which the NIROC relates has originated at a separate location to that of the generating station, in determining whether it is accurate and reliable the Authority may have regard to—
(a)the distance over which the fuel was transported;
(b)conditions under which the fuel was prepared and transported;
(c)the resources required for the Authority to verify the accuracy and reliability of the information; and
(d)such other matters as it considers relevant