Australian Energy Retailers May Face Intervention on Prices

  • Companies ‘on notice’ unless they pass on lower charges
  • Energy minister seeking agreement on policy by August
The Sydney Opera House, foreground, and buildings in the financial district stand illuminated at dusk in Sydney, Australia, on Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. A bungled transition from coal to clean energy has left resource-rich Australia with an unwanted crown: the highest power prices in the world.Photographer: Cole Bennetts/Bloomberg
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Australia’s energy retailers face further government intervention in the market if they don’t move to lower power prices for consumers after a drop in wholesale charges, according to Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg.

Wholesale charges have fallen by about 30 percent from last year and that should start to flow to customers, Frydenberg said Sunday on Sky News. While the companies are “on notice,” the government will await a report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission later this month before deciding if more intervention is required and in what form.