The conversation Fact sheet 1 May 2013

The electricity that you NEM Annual energy production by fuel type – % use in your home comes Liquid Fuel 370 GWh from a number of different Other 0.2% 1036 GWh 0.5% energy sources. 23664 GWh 11.6% In , most of our power comes from Hydro Brown Coal 13182 GWh fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil but the 55084 GWh 6.5% energy mix also includes renewable (clean) 27.0% energy such as wind and solar power. Government policies play an important role in shaping the energy market, and can affect both the pace of energy demand Black Coal 104293 GWh growth and the type of energy used. 51.2% Most of Australia’s electricity is Wind produced using coal. This is because 6055 GWh coal is a relatively low cost energy source 3.0% Source: AEMO, ESOO 2012 in Australia and there are a lot of coal www.aemo.com.au/Electricity/ Planning/Electricity-Statement- reserves in the east where the majority of of-Opportunities electricity is generated and used. Gas is Australia’s third largest energy Interesting Fact source for . As our population increases, it is The International Energy Agency has warned: becoming more and more important that for every $1 of clean energy investment delayed this we have a secure, reliable, clean and decade, another $4.30 would need to be spent after competitively priced energy supply, to 2020, to achieve the cuts in carbon pollution that are meet the growing demand. needed to avoid dangerous climate change. This includes finding the right balance of low carbon energy sources. Interesting Fact Understanding what we call the Roughly 1.6 billion people worldwide do not have ‘energy conversation’ will help us as a access to electricity in their homes, representing nation to make better decisions about how slightly more than one quarter of the world’s population. we should invest for our future. Getting electricity to your home Fact sheet 2 May 2013

The power stations that generate electricity are usually located near energy sources. This electricity is then transported on the ‘grid’ to cities and major towns where most people who use electricity live. TransGrid owns, operates and manages the high voltage electricity network in NSW and the ACT and has a statutory responsibility to deliver high voltage electricity from these power generators to the distribution network that supplies power to homes and businesses.

GENERATORS TRANSMISSION DISTRIBUTION END USERS Makes electricity at Electricity goes through Electricity travels Electricity travels through power plants. Most TransGrid’s high voltage through distribution wires inside the walls, to power plants use transmission lines that lines, where smaller the switches in homes coal, gas, water or stretch across all of NSW pole-top transformers and businesses. wind – , and the ACT. reduce the voltage for , use in homes – , , Snowy and Hydro, and . Infigen Energy. Getting electricity to your home Fact sheet 2 May 2013

There is often a misunderstanding about the difference between electricity ‘demand’ and electricity ‘usage’. Interesting Fact A range of factors such as milder weather, tougher Did you know that all of TransGrid’s transmission economic times and energy smart behaviour, have all lines and substations are worth over $4 billion? resulted in us using less electricity overall in recent years. If TransGrid had to rebuild its network it would cost $10.5 billion. When usage increases at certain times of the year (in particular, during summer), ‘peak demand’ increases because more people are using electricity at the same Interesting Fact time. The network capacity must therefore be kept at a level that can meet the highest anticipated peak demand Through its towers and substations at any given period of time. TransGrid brings electricity to more than three million houses and businesses in NSW and the ACT. Interesting Fact

Did you know that TransGrid has Interesting Fact over 12,772 km of transmission lines and underground cables in On a high-load day, the coastal its network? corridor between and • If only 18% of these lines were put Wollongong consumes around underground it would increase one‑third of all Australia’s TransGrid’s electricity price by electricity. 360%. Imagine what prices would be if we undergrounded the whole network! Interesting Fact • If you put all the high voltage Some 60% of NSW’s energy is power lines in NSW end to end generated west of the Great Dividing (29,700km) they would be Range, but it must be delivered to 15% longer than the Australian the east coast, where most of the Coastline or 40% longer than state’s customers are located. The the Great Wall of China. Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle areas use 75% of this energy. Building new network infrastructure Fact sheet 3 May 2013

TransGrid has a statutory obligation to develop and maintain an efficient, coordinated and economical transmission system. This means that TransGrid has to manage and maintain the electricity network to meet growing peak demand and ensure a reliable supply of electricity to homes and businesses. When TransGrid is required to expand What makes up my bill? its network, it has to take into account a number of factors including engineering feasibility, cost, environmental impact, local heritage and the impact to Retailers Generating $290 and buying local communities. electricity The cost of building and maintaining the electricity $386 network is passed onto energy retailers, who then pass the cost onto consumers via electricity bills. TransGrid will only upgrade its network when it has to: Carbon price and green schemes • replace ageing infrastructure; $290 Distribution • expand networks so they can cope with peaks in network demand for electricity; and $811 • meet higher safety and reliability standards.

Transmission Source: ipart.nsw.gov.au network $154 Interesting Fact

Did you know that an average Sydney home uses the electricity produced from 3.7 tonnes of black coal to power their home each year? By consuming energy more carefully you can help reduce your electricity bill.