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Energy in Australia

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Figure 4.6: Spread of monthly average real spot prices across states <strong>in</strong> the NEM<br />

region compared to the average NEM spot price<br />

$/MWh 2014–15<br />

450<br />

400<br />

350<br />

300<br />

250<br />

200<br />

150<br />

100<br />

50<br />

July<br />

1999 –00<br />

July<br />

2004 –05<br />

Max price<br />

July<br />

2009 –10<br />

Average NEM spot price<br />

July<br />

2014 –15<br />

Notes: Excludes the wholesale prices reported for the Snowy Scheme as well as the price spike <strong>in</strong> 2005<br />

which may be associated with high prices <strong>in</strong> Tasmania at the time that state jo<strong>in</strong>ed the NEM<br />

Source: Global Roam<br />

Retail electricity prices <strong>in</strong> <strong>Australia</strong>, for both households and bus<strong>in</strong>esses<br />

nearly doubled over the period from 2007–08 to 2013–14, but have<br />

started to fall s<strong>in</strong>ce then and are expected by the <strong>Australia</strong>n <strong>Energy</strong><br />

Market Commission to plateau go<strong>in</strong>g forward. Increases were caused by<br />

network costs associated with <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong> transmission and distribution<br />

<strong>in</strong>frastructure, due to the need to replace ag<strong>in</strong>g assets and reliably meet<br />

<strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g occurrences of peak electricity demand.<br />

Recent price decreases have occurred due to the removal of the carbon<br />

pric<strong>in</strong>g mechanism, and due to lower wholesale electricity prices, which<br />

are be<strong>in</strong>g passed on to consumers.<br />

Retail electricity prices are either regulated or determ<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> a competitive<br />

market. Regulated pric<strong>in</strong>g structures <strong>in</strong> the NEM were designed to allow<br />

for recovery of estimated supply costs and have been used to determ<strong>in</strong>e<br />

<strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong> new generation capacity. Market contracts represent an<br />

alternative pric<strong>in</strong>g structure for residential electricity customers and are<br />

largely driven by retail competition.<br />

ENERGY IN AUSTRALIA 2015 49

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