-
The world’s electricity business models are broken. What’s next?
The global electricity market, once noted for dull regulated returns, is in a state of turmoil. Its business model is effectively broken – a series of dramatic ‘game changing’ renewables technologies and falling demand has seen to that. The question is, what should go in its place? -
Smart meters, deregulation seen as cures for rising power bills
The federal government’s final Energy White Paper names retail price deregulation, increased community engagement, improving the efficiency of energy networks, and the nation-wide roll-out of smart meters as some of the key critical reforms needed to help lower retail electricity prices. -
Do energy consumers benefit from competition? It’s hard to see
Data is emerging as a key issue in the electricity industry. So much data about network operations is kept secret, but if it was released it could help stop gold-plating. And it may even help consumers getter better deals from energy retailers. -
Our ‘cheap’ grid is letting us down: That’s not smart
If the NEM hadn’t focused so hard on being lowest cost, Australia’s power supply might not be as expensive as it is now. A new report has found that two critical decisions in particular – to remove environmental and social benefits from the list of considerations for the grid’s operator and regulator – have backfired. -
How EVs could save the grid – and lower energy bills
There will be a good way and a bad way to manage the roll out of electric vehicles. The latter could lead to uncontrolled rises in energy costs, the former could help reduce energy costs, and save some energy infrastructure from becoming redundant.
