❓ Mr. Barnett questions the Minister for Energy on balancing electricity generation investment if Western Power is disaggregated. Mr. Ripper argues disaggregation promotes competition and addresses high electricity prices inherited from the previous government, identifying the 'wires business' as a natural monopoly.
AnsweredQoN 45Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ELECTRICITY-GENERATING CAPACITY
As a supplementary question, how does the Minister for Energy expect to achieve the right balance of investment in peak, mid-merit and base-load plants using coal and gas if the Government breaks up Western Power? Mr RIPPER
As a supplementary question, how does the Minister for Energy expect to achieve the right balance of investment in peak, mid-merit and base-load plants using coal and gas if the Government breaks up Western Power? Mr RIPPER
AnswerView source ↗
Every other power utility in the country has been disaggregated. If we are to get competition into the market, it is necessary that industry have confidence in its ability to access the natural monopoly elements of the electricity system. We must separate the natural monopoly elements from the trading elements of Western Power. Mr Barnett: What is the natural monopoly element? Mr RIPPER: The wires business is the natural monopoly element of Western Power and that must be separated from the trading elements. If there is not extra competition in the Western Australian electricity market, we will not overcome the legacy of higher electricity prices left to us by the Leader of the Opposition. He has left us at least two legacies - a bad budget situation and higher electricity prices.
Mr RIPPER replied: Every other power utility in the country has been disaggregated. If we are to get competition into the market, it is necessary that industry have confidence in its ability to access the natural monopoly elements of the electricity system. We must separate the natural monopoly elements from the trading elements of Western Power. Mr Barnett: What is the natural monopoly element? Mr RIPPER: The wires business is the natural monopoly element of Western Power and that must be separated from the trading elements. If there is not extra competition in the Western Australian electricity market, we will not overcome the legacy of higher electricity prices left to us by the Leader of the Opposition. He has left us at least two legacies - a bad budget situation and higher electricity prices.
Every other power utility in the country has been disaggregated. If we are to get competition into the market, it is necessary that industry have confidence in its ability to access the natural monopoly elements of the electricity system. We must separate the natural monopoly elements from the trading elements of Western Power. Mr Barnett: What is the natural monopoly element? Mr RIPPER: The wires business is the natural monopoly element of Western Power and that must be separated from the trading elements. If there is not extra competition in the Western Australian electricity market, we will not overcome the legacy of higher electricity prices left to us by the Leader of the Opposition. He has left us at least two legacies - a bad budget situation and higher electricity prices.
Mr Barnett: What is the natural monopoly element? Mr RIPPER: The wires business is the natural monopoly element of Western Power and that must be separated from the trading elements. If there is not extra competition in the Western Australian electricity market, we will not overcome the legacy of higher electricity prices left to us by the Leader of the Opposition. He has left us at least two legacies - a bad budget situation and higher electricity prices.
Mr RIPPER: The wires business is the natural monopoly element of Western Power and that must be separated from the trading elements. If there is not extra competition in the Western Australian electricity market, we will not overcome the legacy of higher electricity prices left to us by the Leader of the Opposition. He has left us at least two legacies - a bad budget situation and higher electricity prices.
Mr RIPPER replied: Every other power utility in the country has been disaggregated. If we are to get competition into the market, it is necessary that industry have confidence in its ability to access the natural monopoly elements of the electricity system. We must separate the natural monopoly elements from the trading elements of Western Power. Mr Barnett: What is the natural monopoly element? Mr RIPPER: The wires business is the natural monopoly element of Western Power and that must be separated from the trading elements. If there is not extra competition in the Western Australian electricity market, we will not overcome the legacy of higher electricity prices left to us by the Leader of the Opposition. He has left us at least two legacies - a bad budget situation and higher electricity prices.
Every other power utility in the country has been disaggregated. If we are to get competition into the market, it is necessary that industry have confidence in its ability to access the natural monopoly elements of the electricity system. We must separate the natural monopoly elements from the trading elements of Western Power. Mr Barnett: What is the natural monopoly element? Mr RIPPER: The wires business is the natural monopoly element of Western Power and that must be separated from the trading elements. If there is not extra competition in the Western Australian electricity market, we will not overcome the legacy of higher electricity prices left to us by the Leader of the Opposition. He has left us at least two legacies - a bad budget situation and higher electricity prices.
Mr Barnett: What is the natural monopoly element? Mr RIPPER: The wires business is the natural monopoly element of Western Power and that must be separated from the trading elements. If there is not extra competition in the Western Australian electricity market, we will not overcome the legacy of higher electricity prices left to us by the Leader of the Opposition. He has left us at least two legacies - a bad budget situation and higher electricity prices.
Mr RIPPER: The wires business is the natural monopoly element of Western Power and that must be separated from the trading elements. If there is not extra competition in the Western Australian electricity market, we will not overcome the legacy of higher electricity prices left to us by the Leader of the Opposition. He has left us at least two legacies - a bad budget situation and higher electricity prices.
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