About Australia's energy markets
Australia's energy markets have undergone significant reforms since the early 1990's as a result of the implementation of:
These reforms have been conducted in co-operation with state and territory governments through the Standing Council on Energy and Resources (SCER), which consists of energy and resources ministers from all Australian jurisdictions
Prior to the establishment of the SCER in 2011, the Ministerial Council on Energy (MCE) was responsible for energy market reform. MCE-led reforms include the creation of the National Electricity Market and the development of consistent national regulation of natural gas and electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure through national energy market legislation.
These laws are administered by a single set of national energy market institutions.
Energy market reform has enhanced and is continuing to enhance Australia's economic prosperity by encouraging the efficient provision of reliable, competitively priced energy services to Australians.
How is RET involved?
The Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism drives Commonwealth policy in the energy market reform program being implemented by the SCER.
Key streams of this program currently include:
- the development and implementation of a National Energy Customer Framework
- further development of a Gas Short-Term Trading Market
- further market development to improve transparency, competition and trading opportunities.
The department is currently participating in a range of reforms led by the SCER.
Related documents
Related pages
More information
For more information about Australia's energy markets, email ret@ret.gov.au.
Further details about current reforms can be found on the SCER website. Previous reforms through the Ministerial Council on Energy can be found on the MCE website.
Details about the Clean Energy Future package reforms can be found in the Electricity Prices and Energy Market Reform fact sheet (see Related documents).