Western Power is a statutory corporation established by the Electricity Corporations Act 2005 (WA). It is owned by the State Government of Western Australia and is accountable to the Minister for Energy. It is responsible for building, maintaining and operating the electricity network within the
South West Interconnected System
The South West Interconnected System (SWIS) is an electricity grid in the southwestern part of Western Australia. It extends to the coast in the south and west, to Kalbarri in the north and Kalgoorlie in the east. It is not connected to the ot ...
(SWIS), the poles and wires or energy grid.
When the original
Western Power Corporation
Western Power Corporation (WPC), owned by the Government of Western Australia, was Western Australia's major electricity supplier from 1995 until 2006.
It was formed in 1995 when the monopoly electricity and gas supplier, the State Energy Co ...
was split it was separated into four independent companies:
* Western Power - manages the physical network that transports electricity. It operates in the south west of WA, including the Perth metropolitan area. Western Power does not generate electricity or send electricity bills to customers. Its role is to manage the poles, wires, substations and other infrastructure that brings electricity to homes and businesses in the SWIS.
*
Horizon Power
Horizon Power is a commercially focused, state government-owned, power company that provides power supplies to Western Australia. It is responsible for generating, procuring, distributing and retailing electricity to residential, industrial and co ...
- manages the physical network that transports electricity in the north and regional areas of WA. Horizon power is also responsible for electricity generation and billing.
*
Synergy - the energy retailer that manages electricity accounts and is responsible for billing customers.
*
Verve Energy
Verve Energy was a Western Australian Government owned corporation responsible for operating the state's electricity generators on the state's South West Interconnected System (SWIS). It was split from the then vertically integrated Western Powe ...
- the generation business that produces electricity. Merged with Synergy in 2014.
Operations
The SWIS reaches from Albany in the south, Kalbarri in the north and Kalgoorlie in the east of the state and includes the Perth metropolitan area. The Western Power network consists of more than 103,000 km (64,001 mi) of powerlines, 825,788 poles & towers, 276,000 streetlights and 154 transmission substations.
See also
*
Alinta
Alinta was an Australian energy infrastructure company. It has grown from a small, Western Australia-based gas distributor and retailer to the largest energy infrastructure company in Australia. It was bought in 2007 by a consortium including ...
*
State Energy Commission of Western Australia
References
External links
Government of Western Australia - Office of EnergyEconomic Regulation Authority of Western AustraliaGovernment of Western Australia - Office of Energy - Electricity Reform Implementation Unit
{{DEFAULTSORT:Western Power (Networks Corporation)
Companies based in Perth, Western Australia
Energy in Western Australia
Government-owned companies of Western Australia
Electric power transmission system operators in Australia
Electric power distribution network operators in Australia
Government-owned energy companies
Australian companies established in 2006
Energy companies established in 2006