SA Power Networks takes over ETSA's role in South Australia's built-up areas; retailers manage the accounts

SA Power Networks took over from ETSA as the deliverer of electricity through the poles and wires inSouth Australia's built-up urban areas.

SA Power Networks (former ETSA Utilities) operates the former Electricity Trust of South Australia distribution network in mainly built-up areas of South Australia.

The company is 51% owned by Hong Kong-based Cheung Kong Infrastructure part of the group of companies headed by Hong Kong-based La Ka-Shing's group of companies. The other 49% is owned by ASX-listed investment company Spark Infrastructure.

SA Power Networks has thousands of kilometres of power lines and hundreds of substations within the state's built-upurban areas.

SA Power Networks

• delivers electricity from the high-voltage network (run separately by ElectraNet) through poles and wires in built-up areas to properties or businesses,
• installs, maintains and reads meters,
• provides emergency responses to blackouts in built-up areas,
• repairs street lighting.

SA Power Networks also provides electrical infrastructure project management, construction and maintenance services for other businesses and government.
Retailers, such as AGL and Origin, manage electricity consumers’ accounts, including all billing and service enquiries. They organise connections and disconnections.

In 2018, the federal court dismissed an appeal by SA Power Networks to charge more for electricity distribution. This upheld a determination against SA Power Networks by the Australian Competition Tribunal, following appeals by the state government on behalf of households and businesses. The decision means that SA Power Networks will be able to raise $700 million less over the period to 2020 than they originally sought.

Eyre Peninsula’s Cowell Electric won a $20.4 million five-year state government contract in 2016 to supply energy services to off-grid South Australian communities. The contract to Cowell Electric excludes Oak Valley and Yalata Generation Operations, which are arranged by the Aboriginal communities.

The state government owns electricity infrastructure supplying the remote towns of Cockburn, Blinman, Glendambo, Kingoonya, Mannahill, Marla, Marree, Nundroo, Oodnadatta and Parachilna. The remote Aboriginal communities of Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara, Yalata on Aboriginal Lands Trust and Oak Valley on Maralinga Tjarutja are supplied electricity through the RAES Aboriginal Communities scheme.

As with gas, water, ports and rail industries, electricity is regulated by the Essential Services Commission of South Australia, an independent economic body established by the state government.