ENERGY REFORM...ARE WE THERE YET?

摘要

The energy sector, and particularly the electricity supply industry, has been undergoing significant and continuous 'reform' for about the past 15 years. We have seen the formation of a National Electricity Market (NEM), disaggregation, competition, contestability, privatisation, mergers and acquisitions. This begs the question (that children often ask from the back seat on a long car trip) "Are we there yet?" If you read the latest report of the Energy Reform Implementation Group (ERIG) presented to the Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) the answer is, "Not yet kids." The report can be accessed at www.erig.gov.au. Here are a few samples from its list of recommendations to our highest government forum: 1.1 Privatisation of all energy supply assets 2.7 A (single) national energy market operator 4.5 Formation of the National Planner under a reformed NEMMCO In addition to its recommendations, the report provides some interesting data and 'retrospectives' on the energy reforms to date, both market successes and market failures.