The massive transition going on in our energy systems occupies a lot of minds in the electricity sector. But consumers – both business and households - also have a deep interest in maintaining reliable, affordable energy services. Every business depends on access to energy, as we saw in the SA blackout last month. Meanwhile the cost of electricity is central to the competitiveness of many industrial consumers and to the financial health of many households.

It’s not enough for our energy system to function in an engineering sense, or to support viable energy suppliers. It also has to function in the interest of consumers.

Today I’m going to talk about challenges facing electricity users in NSW and across the whole national market.