ActewAGL

ActewAGL
Private
Industry Utilities
Founded 3 October 2000 (2000-10-03)
Headquarters Canberra, Australia
Key people
 Paul Adams (Chairman),
Michael Costello AO (CEO)
Products Utility services:
Electricity retailing and distribution,
Natural gas
Revenue Decrease A$786m (2016) [1]
Decrease A$199m (2016) [1]
Owner Icon Water Limited 50%,
AGL Energy Ltd 25%,
Jemena Ltd 25%
Number of employees
 800 (3/2017) [2]
Website www.actewagl.com.au
ActewAGL House in Canberra

ActewAGL is an Australian multi-utility joint venture company that provides utility services in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and south-east New South Wales.[3] The company was formed in October 2000 between the Australian Gas Light Company (now AGL Energy) and ACTEW Corporation (now Icon Water), an ACT government-owned corporation.

As at October 2017, ActewAGL is made up of two partnerships:

  • ActewAGL (ActewAGL Retail) — owned equally by Icon Water and AGL Energy via subsidiary companies.[4]
  • Evoenergy (ActewAGL Distribution) — owned equally by Icon Water and Jemena Ltd via subsidiary companies.[4] It operates an electricity distribution network and a gas distribution network in the ACT. The electricity supplies are provided by NSW Electricity Networks over transmission lines owned by TransGrid. Natural gas supplies come via the Eastern Gas Pipeline, owned by Jemena, from the Gippsland Basin, Victoria. On the 1st of January 2018 ActewAGL Distribution changed its name to Evoenergy[5].

History

Actew was already set up in 1988. It stood for Australian Capital Territory Electricity and Water, and still does. When gas was piped to Canberra households in the late 1980's or early 1990's, the utility of gas was added to Actew, with AGL(Australian Gas Light Company) added to the end of the name - ActewAGL.

ActewAGL was formed in October 2000 as a joint venture between the Australian Gas Light Company (AGL) and ACTEW Corporation, a government-owned enterprise of the ACT Government.[6]

In 2000, ActewAGL entered into a contract with ACTEW Corporation for the management and operation of the water and sewerage network of the ACT and surrounding area. In February 2004, ActewAGL entered into a management agreement with TransACT Capital Communications Pty Ltd.[7]

In October 2006 ActewAGL's business was reorganised, creating separate retail and distribution entities. AGL and ACTEW Corporation continued as the partners for the retail business and Alinta and ACTEW Corporation became partners of the distribution business. In August 2007, a consortium including Singapore Power purchased Alinta. Alinta changed its name in August 2008 to Jemena.[8]

In June 2012, ACTEW Corporation did not renew ActewAGL's water and sewerage management contract.[9]

Green initiatives

Since its beginning, ActewAGL has continued to undertake several innovative programs to help the environment. They include the following.

  • Greenchoice – This is a program that lets residential and business customers support environmentally friendly green energy by paying a premium on their electricity bill (either fixed or percentage based plans). The additional payment is invested in renewable energy generation from sources like mini hydro, wind power and biomass.[10] The Greenchoice program is independently assessed by the Australian government's National Green Power Accreditation Program to guarantee that the green energy produced by ActewAGL comes from government-approved renewable energy sources. However Greenchoice customers are still charged for carbon tax on their Greenchoice energy, which even the CEO of ActewAGL admits is counterintuitive. This negates any financial benefit Greenchoice customers might otherwise have received by supporting carbon-neutral energy.[11]
  • ActewAGL solar – ActewAGL Solar - ActewAGL supplies and installs solar energy systems for households in the ACT. http://www.actewagl.com.au/Product-and-services/Solar.aspx
  • ActewAGL hydro – While most hydro-electric developments require the building of dams and lakes, ActewAGL's mini-hydro uses an existing water supply to provide electricity that would otherwise come from fossil-fuel power stations.[12]
  • Solar farm – In early 2008 ActewAGL worked with the ACT Government to study the feasibility of developing a solar farm in the ACT. The study investigated the environmental impact, economic viability, and educational benefits of such a facility.[13][14] In May 2009 the ACT Government called for expressions of interest to construct, own and operate a solar power facility in the ACT. The government specified the facility must be capable of delivering power to at least 10,000 Canberra homes. ActewAGL responded to this request and in December 2009 were advised that they had been shortlisted to move through to the next stage of the selection process.[15]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.actewagl.com.au/~/media/ActewAGL/ActewAGL-Files/About-us/Publications/ActewAGL-Our-Year-in%20Review-2015-16.ashx?la=en
  2. ↑ http://www.actewagl.com.au/~/media/ActewAGL/ActewAGL-Files/About-us/Publications/Annual-Report-2012-13.ashx?la=en
  3. ↑ Khoo, V. (2007). Australian Innovation: Towards a sustainable future. Lane Cove, NSW: CL Creations.
  4. 1 2 "ActewAGL - About Us". Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  5. ↑ "From 1 January 2018, the part of ActewAGL that looks after the electricity and gas networks will be changing its name to Evoenergy". www.actewagl.com.au. Retrieved 2018-09-17.
  6. ↑ Wright, B. (2003). Canberra & the Capital Region, a new focus. NSW: Focus Publishing Pty Ltd.
  7. ↑ ActewAGL website, Our company, accessed 14 April 2008
  8. ↑ "Alinta LGA Ltd is now Jemena Ltd" (PDF) (Press release). Jemena. 4 August 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2008.
  9. ↑ Doherty, Megan (20 July 2012). "Actew's 'water' bill hits $2.5m". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 2012-08-22. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  10. ↑ Canberra tries to stamp on its carbon footprint http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10499227
  11. ↑ http://www.actewagl.com.au/About-us/Media-centre-and-reports/2012/08/30/Letter-to-the-editor-Greenchoice.aspx
  12. ↑ Mount Stromlo Mini Hydro, "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-07-21. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  13. ↑ ACT solar power facility "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-09-17. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  14. ↑ Solar farm given go-ahead http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/03/2353764.htm
  15. ↑ Solar farms: tomorrow's forecast – sunny all the way http://www.actewagl.com.au/letspowerahead/environmental/solar.aspx%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D

Coordinates: 35°16′55″S 149°07′59″E / 35.282°S 149.133°E / -35.282; 149.133

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