Response To AEMO Insights Paper

The Australian Energy Council has welcomed the Australian Energy Market Operator’s new assessment of strategic energy market developments.

The Australian Energy Council’s Chief Executive Sarah McNamara said that proposals in AEMO’s Insights paper will now need to be carefully considered for their costs and benefits through the usual independent processes overseen by the Australian Energy Regulator.

“AEMO’s paper seeks to forecast and address the issues emerging with the growth of renewables supported by Federal and state government targets, increased scope for large-scale storage systems to connect to the grid and the ageing of existing generation plant.

“Each transmission and network investment will unavoidably affect market investments, so they need to be individually assessed.

“This is critical to ensure not just the appropriate timing, but also the cost-effectiveness for customers who will pay for the new links, as well as providing a predictable framework for generation investors,” Ms McNamara said.

About the Australian Energy Council

The Council represents 22 major electricity and downstream natural gas businesses operating in competitive wholesale and retail energy markets. These businesses collectively generate the overwhelming majority of electricity in Australia and sell gas and electricity to over 10 million homes and businesses.