Analysis

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Coal or no coal, all-electric homes are better for the environment

Late last week, the Victorian Government announced a ban on gas connections to new residential homes from 2024. The effect of this policy is that new homes will be required to go all-electric. Even though this is a relatively small step in Victoria’s ambition to electrify all households, it nonetheless triggered a wide range of reactions, including debate on the impact it might have on the state’s carbon emissions. We take a closer look at these claims and clear up some of the misconceptions about electrified homes.

BY Rhys Thomas Aug 03 2023

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Privatisation claims: Do they add up?

The Andrews Labor Government made a partial re-entry of government into electricity generation a major part of its re-election pitch. A claimed $23 billion in profits earned by Victorian generators since privatisation was also frequently cited as part of this. Does it add up and where did that number come from?

BY Peter Brook Dec 01 2022

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Deep Dive: 2022 Victorian Election Commitments

Recent data shows that energy is an issue that more and more voters are conscious of as they consider which politicians are best to lead us. The latest True Issues Survey conducted by JWS Research and published in the Australian Financial Review shows that 39% of people believe that energy is one of the most important issue the government should focus on, compared with 20% in March. This movement comes against a background of an energy crisis in June precipitating higher wholesale energy prices and the effects beginning to filter through to consumer bills.

BY Australian Energy Council Nov 24 2022

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The difficulty is in the detail

Victoria’s ESC recently released its review of the Payment Difficulty Framework that sought to investigate whether retailers had appropriately implemented, and were effectively complying with, the new rules. While the headline of the ESC's media release appeared to suggest retailers were not delivering on their intent, when taking a closer look at the report it actually shows retailers have done an excellent job in implementing the reform.

BY Ben Barnes Jun 23 2022

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Vic RE report card: Could do better

A state parliamentary inquiry into renewable energy in Victoria has recommended the state aims for 100 per cent renewables by 2030, but it has also heard that firming technologies such as pumped hydro and particularly utility scale batteries do not cover energy shortfalls for long periods of time.

BY Hamish Fitzsimmons Jun 02 2022

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Energy preferences: What drives consumers?

Victoria’s Essential Services Commission has released its latest Victorian Energy Market Report which included a focus on a “striking consumer preference” for large energy retailers. In doing so it sought to unpick customer motivations in choosing their provider.

BY Carl Kitchen Dec 02 2021

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Hot topic: Victoria’s big battery

It has been a remarkable year for the number of significant incidents in NEM supply. Recently a fire at Victoria’s “big battery” began just after 10am on Friday 30 July, and investigations are being undertaken. The results will be closely watched not just locally, but internationally.

BY Carl Kitchen Aug 19 2021

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Is degasification plausible?

As energy consumers, we are always looking at more efficient and cost-effective ways of heating and cooling our homes and workplaces. In the southern parts of the country, gas remains a mainstay of heating as many still think it is cheaper than electricity, which is often not the case. But is degasification plausible?

BY Peter Brook & Hamish Fitzsimmons Aug 19 2021

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Fair for who? Victoria's Energy Fairness Plan

Victoria's Energy Fairness Plan was introduced via press release just days before the 2018 state election. While the Plan was an election commitment, the Victorian Government has not made the case for the alleged benefit the parcel of these reforms will bring energy consumers.

BY Hamish Fitzsimmons May 27 2021

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New survey shows shifts in consumer sentiment

The latest in a series of surveys on the experience of consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic has provided a snapshot of the performance of retailers, as well as the level of concern among consumers about managing their power bills.

BY Carl Kitchen Apr 15 2021

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End of era with Yallourn closure

Yallourn has been home to a coal-fired power station for 100 years, but it was recently announced that this would come to an end in 2028 with the closure of the current four unit Yallourn W power station. In providing seven years notice of closure, EnergyAustralia has given the market, policy makers and government time to adjust and avoid shocks. We take a look at the announcement and some history of the power station.

BY AEC Mar 11 2021

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Re-regulation: What do latest retail reports reveal?

At the end of November each year, the AER and ESC publish their assessments of the performance of the retail market for the previous financial year.

BY Ben Barnes Dec 03 2020

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Victoria’s big battery: What exactly is it for?

Announced with great fanfare on 5 November, the Victorian Big Battery may not win any prizes for imaginative naming, but it’s an intriguing project for a host of reasons.

BY Allan O'Neil for AEC Nov 26 2020

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The wildcat strike: Twenty years on

We are often discussing the new challenges of securely operating a power system with new renewable and storage technologies. Twenty years ago the National Electricity Market supply was much more uniform relying on conventional large power systems, predominately coal. But that was no cruise either as the power system then faced a routine threat as big as anything we face today, but has now abated: industrial action.

BY Ben Skinner Nov 05 2020

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Putting the squeeze on prices and competition

A new paper has found a drop in the spread of retail market offers following the re-introduction of price re-regulation in July last year.

BY Carl Kitchen Oct 08 2020

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Victoria’s audacious intervention: The end for national planning?

On 18 February the Victorian Energy Minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, introduced the National Electricity (Victoria) Amendment Bill 2020. We look at what is in the Bill and the implications for national planning and grid developments.

BY Duncan MacKinnon & Ben Skinner Feb 27 2020

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Putting VEPC to the test: Is shopping around really worth just $45?

When grand statements are made about the value of engaging in the retail electricity market, they are generally made by one of two kinds of people: Those who claim to know something about the market, and those that don’t. The latter category tends to be the domain of commentators aiming for effect. The former category tends to revolve around data.

BY Ben Barnes Sep 05 2019

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A path to success or a road to nowhere?

The Victorian Government appears committed to implementing its crowning piece of Retail Electricity Market reform on 1 July. Legislation to enable the Victorian Default Offer (largely a rebranded Basic Service Offer) has passed the Parliament, and the Essential Services Commission has provided advice to the Government setting out its views on the price of the VDO.

BY Ben Barnes May 09 2019

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Time out for conditional discounting

Pay-on-time discounting practises in the energy retail sector have become the latest target of the Federal Government which claims missed payments can amount to $1000 per household. But how much of an issue is pay-on-time discounting and how many customers are on such schemes?

BY Nick Leys Feb 21 2019

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Victoria's Renewables Reverse Auction: Known knowns and some known unknowns

This week the Victorian Government announced the outcome of its renewable energy reverse auction scheme, which had targeted 650MW of renewable generation projects.

BY Ben Skinner & Carl Kitchen Sep 19 2018

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