AGL Energy

The Australian Gas Light Company was formed in Sydney, New South Wales in 1837, and supplied town gas for the first public lighting of a street lamp in Sydney in 1841.[10] AGL was the second company to list on the Sydney Stock Exchange.[11] 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.[12] Twenty-five per cent 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.[13]

On 6 October 2006, the Australian Gas Light Company and Alinta Ltd merged and restructured to create two new listed companies, a restructured Alinta Ltd and AGL Energy Ltd.[14]

In Victoria, in June 2012, AGL Energy acquired Loy Yang A Power Station and the Loy Yang coal mine.[15] Loy Yang A has four generating units with a combined capacity of 2,200 MW (3,000,000 hp).

In New South Wales, in September 2014 AGL Energy acquired Macquarie Generation from the New South Wales Government for $1.5 billion. Macquarie Generation's assets included the 2,640 MW Bayswater Power Station, the 2,000 MW Liddell Power Station, the 50 MW Hunter Valley Gas Turbines and the Liddell Solar Thermal Project.[16] From the two thermal coal power stations and two oil-fired gas turbines, Macquarie Generation supplies approximately 12% of the National Electricity Market and 30% of the New South Wales electricity market.[16] In early stages, Macquarie has commenced development of solar thermal power as a renewable source of energy.

AGL announced in April 2015 and reaffirmed in September 2017 that it intends to close the Liddell Power Station in 2022.[17] The closure of this and other coal-burning power stations in Australia has led to the Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, to seek advice from the Australian Energy Market Operator on extending the life of a number of them,[18] to head off future power shortages.[19] Turnbull said the government had been advised that if the Liddell plant were to close in 2022, there would be a 1,000 MW gap in base load, dispatchable power generation.[18]

In 2018, AGL was among 17 energy businesses that supported the launch of the Energy Charter, a global initiative aimed at bringing together all parts of the power supply chain to give customers more affordable and reliable energy.[20][21]

In 2019, AGL entered the telecommunications industry with the purchase of Southern Phone, a regional telecommunications company.[22]

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.[23] The following tables listing significant assets are based on AGL's 2016 Annual Report.[24]

In February 2016, AGL announced the creation of the Powering Australian Renewables Fund.[40] The Powering Australian Renewables Fund or PARF, will own and develop more than 1,000MW of large-scale renewable energy projects to support Australia's renewable energy capacity and transition to a low-carbon economy. Once fully invested, PARF expects to own approximately 10% of Australia's renewable energy capacity.[41]

In June 2016, QIC and the Future Fund joined AGL as investors in the Powering Australian Renewables Fund.[42]

• Better Place
• Renewable energy in Australia

• "AGL website". Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2007.