Energy Anarchy? Bring on the customer revolution!

Just hours before the AFR Energy Summit kicked off last week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its most dire warning yet on the future of our planet. So, with this global issue looming, what did we learn from our industry leaders and politicians? 

1. The rampant uptake of rooftop solar by frustrated, unhappy customers is beyond dire. It’s an evil that threatens the very core of an energy executive’s bonus.

2. Energy companies have started to “curtail solar”. In plain English, this means they are stopping your solar investment from working. 

3. After 10 years, millions of dollars and way too much hot air, our national energy policy is now basically just a Minister threatening to use “a big stick”.

4. The Opposition really did support the NEG. They just forgot to say so at the time.

Seriously, the industry is in chaos and customers have been completely abandoned by their government and energy companies.

With dozens of new power stations built and thousands of wind, solar and hydro megawatts generated (and planned), politicians are still talking about Liddell.

The Coalition and Labor governments pandering to Alan Jones in Sydney and Greens voters in Melbourne have killed the onshore gas industry, ensuring high prices that hurt manufacturing and increase electricity costs. Good job guys!

But successive CEOs believe there is still reason to be optimistic. It just wasn’t clear whether they were addressing their shareholders or their executives. Certainly not their customers.

It took rousing speeches from straight-talking duo Audrey Zibelman and Kerry Schott to give us cause from some optimism amongst this utter mess. Schott, Chair of the Energy Security Board, pulled no punches in calling the industry for what it is: complete anarchy.

We think this is pretty spot on. Bring on the customer revolution!

Richard McIndoe is managing director of Edge Electrons.