Victoria Bill to amend the Electricity Industry Act 2000, the Gas Industry Act 2001, the Gas Pipelines Access (Victoria) Act 1998, the Gas and Fuel Corporation (Heatane Gas) Act 1993

The Bill would amend the Electricity Industry Act 2000, the Gas Industry Act 2001, the Gas Pipelines Access (Victoria) Act 1998, the Gas and Fuel Corporation (Heatane Gas) Act 1993 and would meet some other purposes. “The main thrust of it, however, is to make amendments as a consequence of the review of the Victorian Energy Networks Corporation, more commonly known as VENCorp,” Batchelor said. “A review was undertaken of that and this is implementing some of the responses. Secondly, the bill will extend the sunset of the energy customer safety net provisions by another 12 months, and a number of other matters.” Reference: Parliament of Victoria, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), Legislative Assembly, Fifty-Sixth parliament, First session, Tuesday, 18 September 2007 – Energy Legislation Further Amendment Bill Introduction and first reading

Erisk Net, 15/10/2007

Burma, August 15: military increased price of fuel 500pc; CNG up 500pc, diesel doubled, petrol up 67pc

Soaring fuel prices trigger for Burmese protests: unfair quota system in place A surgeon in a public hospital in Burma earned $US15($17) a month and ran private clinics after hours to make ends meet, wrote Connie Levett in The Sydney Morning Herald (9/10/2007, p. 9).  Burma Heads of government departments earned $US14 a month until late 2005, when the Government increased salaries tenfold to stem dissent about the move to a new capital, Naypyidaw, in central Burma.

Burma military energy economics: bought fuel in US dollars; sold in the local currency, the kyat.

While the military reaped rich profits from selling quotas on the black market, the Ministry of Energy subsidised the price of petrol. It lost money on each transaction because the ministry bought fuel internationally in US dollars but sold in the local currency, the kyat.

LNG plans may raises SE grid gas-price: Santos requires 4,000-5,500PJ; Arrow at least 1,000PJ, three times current level of CSG production

Santos and Arrow Energy had recently announced proposals for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects in Gladstone, noted the Owen Inquiry into Electricity Supply in NSW, Availabiltiy and Cost of Gas for NSW Baseload Generation (31/7/2007).

Mirvac’s NSW Vision Estate pays 10pc less for GridX Power electricity; and cuts CO2 by 33 per cent

Mirvac’s Vision Estate was the first in the world to use the GridX Power electricity, hot water and air conditioning from natural gas. Greg Paramor, Managing Director of Mirvac, said “The environmental benefits of using GridX tri-generation include an immediate 33pc reduction in greenhouse gasses compared to coal-fired generation, increased efficiency in transmission and in thermal energy use,” Paramor said. “For every home using GridX Power we reduce greenhouse gasses – with these 16 homes and another 200 contracted in stage 11 of this estate Paramor said.