ELECTRICITY – PRICES – AUSTRALIA

NEG too costly, say big energy users

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Original article by Perry Williams, Joe Kelly, Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 18-Jul-18

The ACTU has expressed concern that the federal government’s proposed national energy guarantee will result in higher electricity prices and ensure that large electricity retailers retain their market power. The ACTU has also questioned whether the NEG will have much impact on carbon emissions. Major industrial users of electricity have also warned that the NEG is unlikely to result in lower electricity prices.

CORPORATES
ACTU, DOW CHEMICAL AUSTRALIA LIMITED, BRICKWORKS LIMITED – ASX BKW, RUSAL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, QUEENSLAND ALUMINA LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

Coal stays in energy fix

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Original article by Andrew Tillett, Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 12-Jul-18

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has made 56 recommendations in the final report of its investigation into retail energy pricing. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has indicated that the Federal Government may support the ACCC’s recommendation that the cost of new dispatchable electricity generation be subsidised by taxpayers. This could potentially include coal-fired power stations. Other recommendations include replacing electricity retailer’s standing offers with default offers.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD, QUEENSLAND MEDIA CLUB, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT, LAND, WATER AND PLANNING

Power rip-offs: ACCC lines up energy giants

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 11-Jul-18

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission will release the final report on its investigation into retail energy pricing on 11 July. The ACCC has accused large energy companies of abusing their market power, and it has proposed major changes to the National Electricity Market in order to reduce electricity prices. Amongst other things, the ACCC has recommended banning companies from participating in mergers if they boast a 20 per cent share of the electricity generation market. It has also recommended giving the Australian Energy Regulator more powers to combat market manipulation.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT PRICING AND REGULATORY TRIBUNAL, QUEENSLAND MEDIA CLUB

ACCC: Click misled consumers

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Original article by Max Mason
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 10-Jul-18

Electricity and gas retailer Click Energy will dispute allegations of false and misleading conduct. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission will allege in court that Click Energy’s offer of a 7-29 per cent discount for paying electricity bills on time applied only to its market offer rates, rather than its standard offer rates. ACCC chairman Rod Sims says the discounts were much lower than advertised when compared with Click Energy’s standing offer rates.

CORPORATES
CLICK ENERGY PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AMAYSIM AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX AYS, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

PM pushed on power prices

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 9-Jul-18

The Greens will push for a commission of ­inquiry into retail electricity pricing, with energy spokesman Adam Bandt urging Coalition backbenchers to cross the floor and support the proposed bill. A number of Senate crossbenchers have expressed support for an inquiry into retail electricity prices, while several Coalition MPs have advocated holding a royal commission unless electricity retailers take action to reduce their prices. However, Deputy Prime Minister ­Michael McCormack says a royal commission is not on the Coalition’s agenda at present.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, ENERGYAUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

BCA seeks end to states’ green energy targets

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 13-Mar-18

The Business Council of Australia has called on business to get behind the Federal Government’s proposed National Energy Guarantee. It has also urged state and territory governments to abandon their renewable energy targets, claiming that they will undermine the NEG and increase energy prices. The BCA notes that the NEG must be sufficiently flexible to allow energy retailers to be in compliance with carbon emission requirements. Smaller retailers are worried that the NEG will increase power prices, and that it will help larger retailers to further increase their market dominance.

CORPORATES
BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, ALINTA ENERGY (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD

ALP’s $200 power bill shock

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Original article by Simon Benson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 24-Oct-17

Labor has stated that it will seek to have 50 per cent of electricity produced from renewable sources by 2030. It will also seek to reduce carbon emissions by 45 per cent. However, modelling by the Climate Change Authority has concluded that achieving its 50 per cent target would increase the average household’s power bill by $A200 a year, as well as requiring 17,000 megawatts of coal-fired power generation to be taken out of the National Electricity Market. Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg has claimed Labor is trying to conceal the cost of its energy policy.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. CLIMATE CHANGE AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA

CET might not reduce power bills, says Sims

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Original article by Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 17-Oct-17

The Australian Competition & Commission has released the interim report of its inquiry into electricity prices. The report concludes that electricity network costs were the main cause of a sharp rise in electricity prices over the last decade. Meanwhile, ACCC chairman Rod Sims says that although a Clean Energy Target could potentially contribute to downward pressure on wholesale electricity prices, this might be offset by the impact of renewable energy target subsidies on electricity prices for consumers.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, JACOBS GROUP (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST, FRONTIER ECONOMICS PTY LTD

Energy plan keeps coal in the mix

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 17-Oct-17

The Federal Government’s energy policy, which has been endorsed by the cabinet, will not include a Clean Energy Target or any other subsidies. The policy will be put to the Coalition’s party room on 17 October, and will require energy retailers to comply with new guidelines regarding reliability of electricity supply and emissions reduction. However, they will be able to determine the proportion of each type of energy they supply in order to fulfil these requirements. The Government argues that its energy plan will result in lower electricity prices than under the CET that was proposed by the Finkel review.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ENERGY SECURITY BOARD, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE CHIEF SCIENTIST, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Coal mine strife stokes supply fears

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Original article by Mark Ludlow, Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 21-Sep-17

A Glencore spokesman rejects suggestions that protracted enterprise agreement negotiations at its Hunter Valley coal mines has affected its ability to secure new supply contracts or fulfil existing contracts. Tony Maher of the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union claims that the industrial action has had a material impact on Glencore and resulted in a 20 per cent increase in the price of coal. There are concerns that the dispute could also result in higher electricity prices and affect electricity supply.

CORPORATES
GLENCORE PLC, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY COUNCIL, AGL ENERGY LIMITED – ASX AGL, ORIGIN ENERGY LIMITED – ASX ORG, PACIFIC NATIONAL PTY LTD, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ