EnergyAustralia (state government enterprise)
| Company type | State-owned enterprise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy supply and retail |
| Predecessor | Orion Energy, Sydney Electricity |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Fate | Retail business acquired by CLP Group in 2011; distribution assets rebranded as Ausgrid |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | New South Wales (Sydney, Newcastle, Central Coast), Victoria, South East Queensland (retail) |
| Products | Electricity and gas supply and retail |
EnergyAustralia functioned as a state-owned entity under the Government of New South Wales, Australia. It was engaged in supplying and retailing electricity and gas, mainly catering to the Sydney, Newcastle, and Central Coast areas within New South Wales. After the deregulation of energy markets, the company broadened its retail presence into Victoria's electricity and gas sectors as well as the deregulated electricity market in South East Queensland.
History
Formed in 1996, EnergyAustralia resulted from the consolidation of Orion Energy (which originated from Shortland Electricity and Shortland County Council) and Sydney Electricity, itself a successor to Sydney County Council.
In 2005, EnergyAustralia collaborated with International Power to manage retail operations in Victoria and South Australia. Subsequently, it divested its 50% interest to International Power, which then rebranded the joint venture as Simply Energy (currently known as Engie Australia).
On 1 March 2011, the retail segment of EnergyAustralia was acquired by CLP Group, while the remaining distribution assets were rebranded under the name Ausgrid.
Operations
Prior to the deregulation of residential energy markets in 1997 and the introduction of full retail contestability in 2002, EnergyAustralia held a price-regulated monopoly over electricity supply within its service area.
The company owned an electricity distribution network that served eastern Sydney, the Central Coast, and Hunter regions; meanwhile, Integral Energy covered most of Western Sydney.
EnergyAustralia also managed Testing & Certification Australia (TCA), an accredited metering provider delivering contestable metering solutions to all energy retailers. TCA operated a high-capacity facility located at Lane Cove along with a NATA-accredited instrument calibration laboratory. The electrical safety compliance testing branch was discontinued in 2010, with its assets transferred to Vipac. These metering and testing operations were eventually renamed PLUS ES.
Furthermore, EnergyAustralia offered customers access to renewable green power options certified by the National GreenPower Accreditation Program, promoting environmentally friendly energy alternatives with reduced emissions.