D26 Electricity Supply

Compromise deal on RET in the wind

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 10-Mar-15

The Australian Government and industry bodies are expected to agree on a compromise arrangement for the Renewable Energy Target scheme. The new target of around 35,000 gigawatt hours by 2020 would stimulate investment in wind farms. Bloomberg estimates that the new target would result in 8.8 gigawatts of extra renewable energy capacity by 2021

CORPORATES
BLOOMBERG LP, CLEAN ENERGY COUNCIL LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

‘Zero-down’ finance heats up solar rivalry

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 6-Mar-15

AGL and Origin Energy are expanding their solar energy divisions. AGL is launching an offer of a solar panel installed for free, with a fixed monthly fee payable for a minimum amount of solar power. The company says "power purchase agreements" are very popular in overseas markets. Origin Energy is already running a similar program in Adelaide

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, SUNGEVITY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, SUNPOWER CORPORATION

Biggest power buyers back electricity sales

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Will Glasgow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 12 : 5-Mar-15

Energy-intensive companies such as Boral and Orora support the New South Wales Government’s proposal to privatise the state’s electricity network if it wins the 2015 election. Energy Users Association of Australia CEO Phillip Barresi has rejected warnings from trade unions that selling the state’s "poles and wires" will result in higher electricity prices. Some 5,000 people attended a union-organised anti-privatisation rally outside Parliament House on 4 March

CORPORATES
BORAL LIMITED – ASX BLD, ORORA LIMITED – ASX ORA, ENERGY USERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, ELECTRICAL TRADES UNION, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT PRICING AND REGULATORY TRIBUNAL, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, McKELL INSTITUTE

ACCC endorses $13b power sale

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Will Glasgow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 9 : 19-Feb-15

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has no objections to the New South Government’ plans to partially lease the state’s electricity network. The Government wants to offer 99-year leases, which would cover 49 per cent of the state’s electricity and distribution businesses. ACCC chairman Rod Sims said on 18 February 2015 that the initiative would result in lower prices for households

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Roy Morgan announces 2014 winners of Customer Satisfaction Awards

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 19-Feb-15

Roy Morgan Research announced the winners of its fourth annual Customer Satisfaction Awards on 18 February 2015. The awards recognise outstanding levels of customer satisfaction, as judged by more than 50,000 consumers and 12,000 business decision-makers throughout 2014. The 37 award categories cover sectors such as banking, insurance, superannuation, automotive, travel and hospitality, retail, telecommunications and utilities. Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine says the awards have earned a reputation as the most accurate and reliable measure of customer satisfaction in Australia

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LEXUS AUSTRALIA, P&N BANK, GREATER BUILDING SOCIETY LIMITED, PEOPLE’S CHOICE CREDIT UNION, DEFENCE SERVICE HOMES INSURANCE SCHEME, ESSSUPER, PLUM FINANCIAL SERVICES LIMITED, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, CBHS FRIENDLY SOCIETY LIMITED, INSURANCELINE HOLDINGS PTY LTD, BENDIGO AND ADELAIDE BANK LIMITED – ASX BEN, NRMA LIMITED, REST SUPER PTY LTD, AUTOBARN PTY LTD, GUARDIAN CHEMISTS, SUSSAN-SUZANNE GRAE, MICHEL’S PATISSERIE, DAVID JONES LIMITED, TARGET AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, THE REJECT SHOP LIMITED – ASX TRS, THE GOOD GUYS, TRUE VALUE HARDWARE LIMITED, CRUST PIZZA, GULL PETROLEUM PTY LTD, BETTS AND BETTS PTY LTD, BETTS KIDS, SPORTSPOWER, ALDI STORES SUPERMARKETS PTY LTD, APPLE INCORPORATED, SOUTHERN PHONE COMPANY LIMITED, INTERNODE SYSTEMS PTY LTD, AMAYSIM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, SINGAPORE AIRLINES LIMITED, ACTEWAGL, RED ENERGY PTY LTD

Pressure is on for Snowy Hydro

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 11-Feb-15

Snowy Hydro CEO Paul Broad has downplayed speculation that privatisation may again be on the agenda for the government-owned power company. Meanwhile, he says the group needs to deliver on its growth forecasts and projected synergies in order to justify its acquisition of Lumo Energy and the Colongra gas-fired power station in 2014. Snowy Hydro boasts around $A1.2bn worth of debt following the acquisitions

CORPORATES
SNOWY HYDRO LIMITED, LUMO ENERGY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RED ENERGY PTY LTD, INFRATIL LIMITED – ASX IFZ, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, ONE.TEL LIMITED, INFRASTRUCTURE NEW SOUTH WALES

Ex-Ausgrid worker ‘fudged the figures’

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michaela Whitbourn
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 7 : 23-Jan-15

A former Ausgrid worker has allegedly manipulated some figures to help contractors win tenders from his company. The New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption was told on 22 January 2015 that the man received around $A300,000 in illegal payments from contactors, including Murray Civil Works and Bastow Civil Contractors

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, AUSGRID PTY LTD, BASTOW CIVIL CONSTRUCTIONS PTY LTD, MURRAY CIVIL WORKS PTY LTD

Old power stations drive blackout risk

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 12-Jan-15

It is estimated that Australia’s National Energy Market has about 9,000 megawatts of electricity that is surplus to demand. However, Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane says the Federal Government does not intend to pay power companies to shut down older power stations, arguing that the issue needs to be addressed by the market. AGL Energy chairman Jeremy Maycock has previously raised concerns that power blackouts may become more frequent as companies are continuing to operate older power stations

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR

Power prices to fall for three years

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Brian Robins
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 7 : 12-Dec-14

The Australian Energy Market Commission expects electricity prices to fall in New South Wales (NSW) and rise in Queensland and Western Australia over the next few years. In NSW, prices are likely to drop by 5.8 per cent a year to mid-2017. This trend is the result of lower wholesale prices and regulatory reform

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET COMMISSION

Power plant half shut as gas rises, demand falls

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 20 : 11-Dec-14

AGL Energy has advised that it will close down four of the eight generating units at its gas-fired Torrens Island power station in South Australia in 2017. The move has been attributed to factors such as the rising cost of gas for domestic consumption and a decline in energy use. AGL shut down the four older generating units for several months earlier in 2014 due to low demand for electricity

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, SANTOS LIMITED – ASX STO