Victorian Energy Market report 2018-19
Published 26 November 2019Who can sell or deliver gas and electricity?
In Victoria, businesses involved in the supply of energy are generally required to hold a licence issued by the commission. This includes businesses generating electricity, operating power stations and high voltage transmission lines, those that deliver gas and electricity through pipes and wires, as well as the retailers that sell you energy.
We issued 23 energy licences
In 2018–19, we issued 23 energy licences to businesses in Victoria, which included:
- 12 new licences to generate electricity, including five solar farms, six wind farms and one landfill gas generator (figure 1.3)
- four new electricity retail licences (Energy Locals, Elysian Energy, SIMEC Zen Energy Retail and Power Club)
- four electricity wholesale licences (EnergyAustralia – Gannawarra, Energy Australia – Ballarat, Telstra Energy, Moorabool Wind Farm Interface)
- three gas retail licences (1st Energy, Agora Retail and Tango Energy).
We update existing licences as required and administer the exempt persons register. During 2018–19 we registered over 1,100 embedded networks that supply over 140,000 customers.
The Victorian licensing system
Licences are granted with a range of conditions and obligations to comply with codes and guidelines we publish. Some businesses are exempt from holding a licence, such as caravan parks or embedded networks. An embedded network is a privately-owned, electricity network, servicing customers in a specific site, like an apartment complex or shopping centre.