AGL Energy

Not to be confused with AGL Resources or ActewAGL.

AGL Energy Limited

Type	Public
Traded as	ASX: AGL S&P/ASX 200 Component
Industry	Energy Utilities
Founded	2006, as AGL Energy 1837, as The Australian Gas Light Company
Headquarters	North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Key people	Andrew Vesey (CEO & MD)
Products	Energy Natural gas generation Wind power Hydroelectricity coal seam gas
Services	Electricity generation Electricity distribution Electricity retailing Natural gas distribution and retailing
Subsidiaries	ActewAGL (25%)
Website	www.agl.com.au

AGL Energy (ASX: AGL), a publicly–listed Australian company, provides energy products and services to the Australian economy. The company is involved in both the generation and retailing of electricity for residential and commercial use.

AGL Energy generates electricity from power stations that use thermal power, natural gas, wind power, hydroelectricity, and coal seam gas sources. The company began operating in Australia in 1837 as The Australian Gas Light Company and claimed in 2014 that it had more than 3.8 million residential and business customer accounts across New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland. It has large investments in the supply of gas and electricity, and is Australia's largest private owner, operator and developer of renewable energy assets.

History

Main article: Australian Gas Light Company

The Australian Gas Light Company was formed in Sydney in 1837, and supplied town gas for the first public lighting of a street lamp in Sydney in 1841. AGL was the second company to list on the Australian Stock Exchange. The company gradually diversified into electricity and into a number of different locations.

ActewAGL, a joint venture between the Australian Gas Light Company and ACTEW Corporation, a government-owned enterprise of the ACT Government, was formed in October 2000 as Australia's first utility joint venture. 25% owned by AGL Energy, ActewAGL provides electricity, natural gas, and telecommunication services to business and residential customers in the Australian Capital Territory and south-east New South Wales.

On 6 October 2006, The Australian Gas Light Company and Alinta Limited shareholders approved the merger of AGL’s infrastructure assets with Alinta and the subsequent separation of AGL Energy.

In 2014, AGL Energy launched plans to offer compressed natural gas (CNG) to Australian transport businesses as an alternative to foreign crude and fuel imports. AGL plans to launch public refuelling stations across Australia that will help improve supply of CNG to the Australian market.

Operations and significant assets

AGL operate retail and merchant energy businesses, power generation assets and an upstream gas portfolio. AGL has a diverse power generation portfolio - including base, peaking and intermediate generation plants - spread across traditional thermal generation as well as renewable sources including hydro and wind. The following tables listing significant assets are based on AGL's 2014 Annual Report.

Renewable energy

Source	State	Maximum capacity	Ref
Dartmouth Hydroelectric Power Station	VIC	180 megawatts (240,000 hp)
Eildon Hydroelectric Power Station	VIC	120 megawatts (160,000 hp)
Hallet Wind Farms (1,2,4 & 5)	SA	350 megawatts (470,000 hp)
Kiewa Hydroelectric Scheme	VIC	391 megawatts (524,000 hp)
Macarthur Wind Farm	VIC	420 megawatts (560,000 hp)
Oaklands Wind Farm	VIC	63 megawatts (84,000 hp)
Broken Hill Solar Plant in development	NSW	53 megawatts (71,000 hp)
Nyngan Solar Plant in development	NSW	102 megawatts (137,000 hp)
Coopers Gap Wind Farm in development	QLD	351 megawatts (471,000 hp)
Silverton Wind Farm Stage 1 in development	NSW	300 megawatts (400,000 hp)

Thermal & peaking power stations

Source	State	Maximum capacity	Ref
Bayswater Power Station	NSW	2,640 megawatts (3,540,000 hp)
Liddell Power Station	NSW	2,000 megawatts (2,700,000 hp)
Loy Yang A Power Station	VIC	2,210 megawatts (2,960,000 hp)
Torrens Island Power Station	SA	1,280 megawatts (1,720,000 hp)
Somerton Power Station (Gas turbines)	VIC	160 megawatts (210,000 hp)
Yabulu Power Station 50% interest - not operated by AGL	QLD	121 megawatts (162,000 hp) (50% of 242 MW)
Diamantina Power Station 50% interest	QLD	151 megawatts (202,000 hp) (50% of 302 MW)

Gas

Source	State	Maximum capacity	Ref
Newcastle Gas Storage	NSW	1.5 petajoules (0.42×10^9 kWh)
Silver Springs Gas Storage	QLD	35 petajoules (9.7×109 kWh)

Upstream gas projects

In 2015 the EPA ordered the suspension of AGL's Gloucester operations after finding toxic chemicals had been introduced into Hunter Water's systems. The EPA subsequently found no "evidence of harm to the environment or pollution of waters" and AGL was allowed to continue its Gloucester operations.

Source	State	Reserves (2P)	Ref
Gloucester Gas Project	NSW	527 petajoules (1.46×1011 kWh)
Camden Gas Project	NSW	45 petajoules (1.2×1010 kWh)
Hunter Gas Project	NSW	0 petajoules (0 kWh)
Moranbah Gas Project 50% interest - not operated by AGL	QLD	285 petajoules (7.9×1010 kWh)
ATP 1103 Exploration Project 50% interest - not operated by AGL	QLD	968 petajoules (2.69×1011 kWh)
Silver Springs Gas Project	QLD	58 petajoules (1.6×1010 kWh)
Galilee Gas Project 50% interest	QLD	2C resources only

^1 Estimated reserves based on Mining SEPP changes.

^2 Under a 50-year project agreement that commenced in 2000, AGL has no effective exploration rights (or ongoing cost obligations) within exploration tenement ATP 1103 as these were assigned to Arrow Energy Limited. However, AGL is entitled to participate up to a 50% interest in any commercial development by contributing its share of past costs.

^3 2P or proved plus probable reserves, are those quantities of gas that are estimated with equal certainty to be greater than or less than actual commercially recoverable quantities. 2C resources are considered not yet commercially recoverable. Consistent with new ASX Listing Rules reporting requirements, gas reserves are now reported net of 'lease fuel' i.e. net of estimated own use fuel consumption upstream of the point of sale.

See also

• Better Place
• Renewable energy commercialization in Australia