APA Group has released its results for the 2014 financial year. Strong growth was driven by the performance of the company’s extensive portfolio, including newly commissioned assets and other recent investments. The company announced a 14.0 per cent increase in net profit after tax and non-controlling interests before significant items to $199.6 million, and a 12.9 per cent increase in [...]
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency will provide $450,000 funding to support a $1.4 million pilot-scale rollout of an innovative renewable energy solution. ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said Laing O’Rourke would be constructing, setting up and packing down the world’s first fully redeployable large-scale solar-diesel hybrid power plant. “ARENA supported Laing O’Rourke to undertake initial design work into this technology and we are [...]
In an exclusive interview with Fairfax journalists, Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane revealed that he is determined to create a national gas network that could transfer gas from the Browse Basin in Western Australia to Sydney. This could possibly prevent potential gas shortages in NSW and the steep price rises forecast from 2016. With the construction of a 900-kilometre pipeline [...]
Laurence Kemball-Cook - CEO and Founder of Pavegen Pavegen founder and CEO, Laurence Kemball-Cook, has suggested Australia could save billions of dollars by introducing a system of decentralised power grids. Mr Kemball-Cook says it makes no sense for massive power stations to be located long distances from where the energy is consumed. Speaking ahead of his keynote address to All-Energy [...]
The Australian Energy Market Operator has released their 2014 Electricity Statement of Opportunities. The Electricity Statement of Opportunities (ESOO) provides an assessment of supply adequacy in the National Electricity Market (NEM) over the next 10 years, highlighting opportunities for generation and demand-side investment. For the first time in the history of the NEM, the report indicates that no new thermal [...]
In one of the first installations of its kind for regional Western Australia, Horizon Power has recently connected a South Hedland business to their 37 kW, 108 roof-mounted solar panels, complete with a battery storage system, also known as generation management. South Hedland Liquor Supplies, located on Hunt Street in South Hedland, underwent and passed solar installation and storage system [...]
The first solar panels have been installed at AGL’s large-scale solar plant in Nyngan, NSW. ARENA’s CEO Ivor Frischknecht joined federal and state officials, key stakeholders, community representatives and local workers at the 250 hectare construction site to congratulate project developers, AGL and First Solar, on this significant achievement. “The advanced thin-film PV modules being installed today are the first of [...]
Horizon Power (WA) is investigating the introduction of advanced meters and associated communications network throughout its service area, with meter installations expected to commence in early 2015. Through this EOI, Horizon Power aims to understand more about existing turnkey options available for meter services and meter data management services. Horizon Power is also looking to assess the proposed solutions against the [...]
Pipeline industry body APIA has made a submission stating that new regulatory measures in gas transmission pipeline capacity trading could result in a substantial cost to the gas market with no guarantee of an increase in capacity trading. In its submission to the COAG Energy Council Consultation paper on Enhanced Pipeline Capacity Information, APIA points out that an independent cost-benefit [...]
The benefits of an innovative demand management initiative, the Mackay Empower program, have begun to be realised by both Ergon Energy and customers with Mackay Regional Council announcing that it will participate by synchronising three diesel generators. Ergon Chief Executive Ian McLeod said the Mackay Empower program provides business customers in the high growth area of Paget, incentives to optimise [...]
The final independent report from the landmark Smart Grid, Smart City project has been released. This initiative was led by Ausgrid and its consortia partners for the purpose of supporting and informing the industry-led adoption of smart grid technologies in Australia and was allocated $100 million by the Australian Government in 2009. The program ran for four years, from 2010 to [...]
Australian government agency ARENA has recently been investigating the opportunities to integrate renewable energy into the grid, and the challenges associated with this. Utility recently spoke to ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht about some of the challenges and opportunities presented by renewable grid integration. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) was established by the Australian Government in 2012 to make renewable [...]
Distributing Victoria’s electricity CitiPower and Powercor is Victoria’s largest electricity distribution company. Its network covers the Melbourne central business district, a large part of the Melbourne metropolitan region, as well as the major population centres across the central and west regions of Victoria including Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Horsham, Mildura and Warrnambool. In all, our network services more than 1.1 million [...]
As consumer sentiment towards smart meters begins to turn a corner, utilities and retailers are now beginning to take advantage of the increased data provided by advanced metering, and are demonstrating the benefits to customers by helping them to reduce usage, manage bills and manage demand. The arrival of smart meters has dramatically increased the amount of information retailers can [...]
AGL has released a report highlighting the opportunity to introduce a fairer system of pricing, which helps to lower the long-term cost of electricity supply. Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Networks Association, John Bradley welcomed the new paper by Paul Simshauser and David Downer “On the inequity of flat-rate electricity tariffs”. “AGL’s research demonstrates that customers that are in [...]
The WA Department of Agriculture and Food is offering fruit and vegetable growers in Carnarvon (WA) free on-farm assessments of their irrigation systems, including pump performance testing, in order to improve efficiency. These will be conducted from 26 August to 1 September as part of the department’s More Dollars per Drop project. Department development officer Tilwin Westrup said there were [...]
New solar PV standards now allow Ergon Energy customers to connect solar PV systems that do not export to the network and potentially pave the way for them to add battery energy storage systems in future. Chief Executive Ian McLeod said the new standards provided additional options over and above the existing arrangements and were consistent with Ergon's commitment to [...]
Since 2012, the Australian Energy Market Operator has been investigating the potential to integrate excess energy generated by wind turbines around Australia into the National Electricity Market. AEMO has provided Utility with an update on the progress that has been made, and the challenges that lie ahead for the integration of large scale renewable energy into the grid. In December [...]
The Grattan Institute has released a new report supporting reform of electricity network tariffs, titled Fair Pricing for Power. The report states that "reform of electricity tariffs is urgently needed to prevent all Australians paying too much for power and some people paying more than their fair share" and that "a different way of charging customers could have saved network [...]
South East Queensland’s bulk water authority Seqwater has welcomed the release of WaterQ, the Queensland Government’s 30 year strategy for Queensland’s water sector. Seqwater Chief Executive Officer Peter Dennis said the strategy aligned with Seqwater’s five-year organisational strategy, which is focused on supplying affordable drinking water for one of Australia’s fastest growing regions and delivering a long-term plan to ensure [...]
The first session of the Powering Sydney’s Future forum hosted by TransGrid has resulted in the exchange of some bright ideas on the best ways to ensure the reliable future electricity supply for Sydney. Almost 100 representatives and experts from a wide range of stakeholders attended to discuss the pressing issue. The gathering included consumer advocacy groups, academics, government representatives, [...]
Utility and infrastructure service provider, Select Solutions, has been commended as a “Best Employer for 2014” by global human resources company, Aon Hewitt. Select Solutions received the prestigious award with 15 other companies, chosen from 120 entries across Australia and New Zealand, due to its positive employee engagement results, commitment to safety and employee communications. Select Solutions General Manager, John Kelso, [...]
Canadian Solar, one of the world's largest solar power companies, has announced a partnership with IKEA Australia, to build 3.6MW solar systems. The 3.6MW project will span across seven IKEA sites located in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, and will generate enough clean energy to offset approximately 4,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. This is Canadian Solar's largest commercial PV [...]
By Michelle Goldsmith The way Australian consumers use electricity is changing, and all indications suggest that it will continue to do so into the future. As consumer behaviour evolves, so too must the energy sector, shaping the face of Australia’s future energy grid. The future grid may be closer than we think, with many power utilities already preparing for the [...]
While some key electricity cost drivers are falling, consumers need access to smarter pricing structures to keep control of energy bills, suggest recently published Energy Network Association (ENA) publications. At the industry conference Energy Networks 2014, the ENA released its road map for pricing reform, The Road to Fairer Prices and an overview of Electricity Prices and Network Costs. ENA CEO John [...]
APPEA has welcomed the Victorian Government’s community consultation process regarding the development of the state’s coal seam gas resources. APPEA Chief Operating Officer Eastern Australia, Paul Fennelly said: “APPEA looks forward to taking part in the consultation process and contributing to a fact-based discussion about the safe operation of industry and its economic potential for Victoria. “For too long, protracted [...]
Onsite generation like solar panels can save Australian electricity customers money but it can also cost them money if not managed carefully, the Energy Networks Association (ENA) has said. At the biennial conference Energy Networks 2014, ENA CEO John Bradley said energy networks were achieving a transformation in the use of onsite or ‘embedded’ generation with almost 1.2 million solar [...]
SP AusNet has begun an upgrade to South Gippsland’s backbone powerlines running from the Morwell Terminal Station to Phillip Island, via Leongatha and Wonthaggi. This investment will improve the safety and reliability of the electricity supply to residents and businesses in South Gippsland, particularly during the summer tourist season, when the population swells. A significant rise in demand during the [...]
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