D26 Electricity Supply

Rio pushes for nuclear power in energy debate

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Original article by Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 20 : 2-Dec-14

Submissions have been lodged with the Australian Government’s new energy white paper taskforce. Rio Tinto argues that nuclear power should not automatically be ruled out as an option for the nation as it seeks to curb its greenhouse gas emissions. Fellow uranium producer BHP Billiton says in order for Australia to cash in on the growing demand for energy worldwide, local labour market laws must be relaxed to boost productivity. Others to make submissions are ANZ Banking, Peabody Energy and Qantas Airways

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, PEABODY ENERGY AUSTRALIA COAL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Baird to launch new sales pitch for poles, wires

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Original article by Sean Nicholls
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 3 : 25-Nov-14

Public opinion polling by Fairfax/Ipsos indicates that New South Wales (NSW) Premier Mike Baird may be making gains in his attempt to convince voters of the merit in electricity distribution asset sales. He is linking the funds to be raised in the privatisation to investment in new infrastructure. This includes an extra $A300m for bus lanes, and $A600m for cultural projects such as new arts precincts, maintenance work at the Sydney Opera House, and a new Sydney Modern wing for the Art Gallery of NSW

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE, ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, INFRASTRUCTURE NEW SOUTH WALES, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

American import to steer AGL through times of change

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 26 : 19-Nov-14

AGL Energy CEO Michael Fraser will be succeeded by Andrew Vesey in February 2015. Vesey will receive a fixed salary of $A1.9m a year, plus short- and long-term incentives. US-born Vesey is currently the COO of AES Corporation, and has previously been CEO of Australian electricity network company CitiPower. AGL chairman Jeremy Maycock says there are unlikely to be significant changes to the energy group’s executive ranks under the new CEO

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGK, AES CORPORATION, CITIPOWER LIMITED, ERNST AND YOUNG, MACQUARIE GENERATION, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD

AGL to lead the solar charge

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Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 21 : 17-Nov-14

Marc England, head of group strategy and new energy at AGL Energy, will on 17 November 2014 address the "Australian Utility Week" event. He will unveil a plan to invest in domestic solar power panels installations, storage batteries and smart meters, to enable some one million households to become independent of the electricity grid by 2020. The move is designed to ensure AGL’s continued relevance in a changing energy market. It is currently among the largest generators of power from coal-fired plants

CORPORATES
AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGK

Gulf too wide for RET deal, says Labor

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Original article by Joanna Heath
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 12-Nov-14

The Australian Government’s refusal to compromise on its proposes changes to the Renewable Energy Target (RET) has prompted the Opposition to abandon negotiations over the reforms. Shadow environment minister Mark Butler says the Australian Labor Party will not support the savage reduction in the RET that is being sought by the Government. Private sector investment in renewable energy has been put on hold for most of 2014 due to uncertainty about the future of the RET

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PALMER UNITED PARTY

No power without real reform

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Original article by Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 6 : 10-Nov-14

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) has prepared a study on energy policy, in a lobbying effort as the Federal Government takes submissions for a new white paper on the topic. The BCA argues that rising energy prices are jeopardising the nation’s global competitiveness in the resources sector. Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently commented that he wants Australia to be an "affordable-energy super power", as part of the Government’s industry and competitiveness agenda

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP

Limbo leads to turbine layoffs

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Original article by Joanna Heath, Lucille Keen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 24-Oct-14

Keppel Prince is to close its wind turbine division, which will result in 100 job losses. The retrenchments are the first to arise from the Australian Government’s review of the renewable energy target (RET). Keppel Prince’s Steve Garner says no orders for wind turbines have been received in 14 months, which would not have been the case had the RET be left unchanged. The sackings came one day after Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said the Government will pursue a close to 40 per cent drop in the RET in absolute terms

CORPORATES
KEPPEL PRINCE ENGINEERING PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, PACIFIC HYDRO LIMITED, INDUSTRY FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, IFM RENEWABLE ENERGY PTY LTD, ALCOA INCORPORATED – ASX AAI

‘Outbreak of commonsense’ may save smelter

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Original article by Chip Le Grand
The Australian – Page: 1 : 23-Oct-14

Aluminium producer Alcoa in early 2014 announced the closure of the Point Henry smelter operation in Geelong. This sparked concerns that its other facility, at Portland, would also be shut once an electricity supply deal ends in November 2016. However plant manager Peter Chellis has now welcomed an announcement by Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane that he wants to exempt the smelter from the renewable energy target. This is estimated to bring annual cost savings of about $A10m, and may help secure the jobs of 540 staff and 180 contractors

CORPORATES
ALCOA INCORPORATED – ASX AAI, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIAN WORKERS’ UNION-FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIAL, MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING EMPLOYEES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN ALUMINIUM COUNCIL LIMITED

Synergy puts case to be split

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Original article by Daniel Mercer
The West Australian – Page: 3 : 6-Oct-14

State-owned power utility Synergy has made a submission to the Western Australian Government arguing the case for its structural separation. It favours the creation of at least two companies that are engaged in both electricity generation and retailing, in order to boost competition in the energy sector and lead to a reduction in electricity prices over the long-term. Synergy was merged with generation company Verve Energy at the start of 2014

CORPORATES
SYNERGY POWER CORPORATION PTY LTD, VERVE ENERGY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF ENERGY

More bushfire class actions against AusNet

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Original article by Steve Lillebuen
The Age – Page: 3 : 3-Oct-14

Residents who lost property in separate bushfires in Gippsland and to the north of Melbourne in early 2014 have launched class action law suits. The respondent is listed electric utility AusNet Services, which previously reached out-of-court settlements worth close to $A400m related to the devastating 2009 bushfires in Victoria. In the two new cases, the claimants are seeking $A50m and $A5m respectively. The law firm acting on their behalf is Maddens

CORPORATES
AUSNET SERVICES LIMITED – ASX AST, MADDENS