Purchasing electricity in Australia is much more complex

Geoff Andrews explains that purchasing electricity in Australia is more complex because network charges — many now privately owned — make up a large, non-negotiable portion of industrial electricity bills.

• Main announcement/action: The article states that retail electricity costs are only about half of the total electricity bill, with the remainder made up of network charges, environmental programs, and market operator charges; network tariffs are non-negotiable, so the only effective ways to reduce network charges are: generate electricity on site, reduce total electricity use, or reduce maximum electrical demand.
• Background and details: Networks are described as natural monopolies, previously government-owned until the 1990s and now often privately owned (including by foreign investors); for industrial sites with waste heat > 700°C, biomass or biogas, the article highlights Capricorn Power’s heat-to-electricity generator — the Barton Heat Engine as a cost-effective on-site generation option.