What it does: ElectraNet is a specialist in electricity transmission, providing energy and infrastructure solutions across Australia.
Mission: Safety is our priority and is at the heart of all of our activities as we operate in a high-voltage environment.
Size and presence: Our business includes South Australia's regulated transmission network. This network moves electricity from traditional and renewable power generators in South Australia and interstate, to where it is needed.
Best known for: We believe in delivering sustainable improvement in both safety performance and our safety culture.
The good bits: Great People and leadership Challenging Projects Leader in innovative solutions for renewable connections.
The not so good bits: Poor management and use of poor excuses to reduce employees' performance
In 1998, the South Australian Premier, John Olsen, announced the privatization of the Electricity Trust of South Australia (ETSA). The subsequent separation and sale saw the establishment of ElectraNet. The distribution network retained the name, trading under ETSA Utilities, now known as SA Power Networks. On 31 October 2000, ElectraNet began trading as a private company, operating South Australia’s high-voltage electricity transmission network.
In its early days, the arrival of electricity supply rapidly improved the quality of life of South Australians.
As South Australia matured, the expanding transmission network opened up new industries and opportunities. Today, our modern transmission network continues to support South Australians by providing safe, affordable, and reliable energy solutions to power homes, businesses, and the economy.
South Australia’s electricity journey started back in 1885 when J.W.H Hullet became the first person to light a private residence through what was known as a hydroelectric plant. But it wasn’t until 1897 that the South Australian Parliament passed a bill to form a privately-owned electricity company to generate and transmit power to the Port Adelaide area.
The electricity demand soared throughout the early 1900s. By 1917, electricity supplies had been extended to Norwood, Unley, Hindmarsh, and Thebarton, and the demand was so high that the powerhouse that had initially been built in Grenfell Street needed to expand its capacity. By 1923, a further power station was built in Osborne to cope with customer demand.
The 1920s saw new transmission lines being built, expanding out past the metropolitan area. By the Second World War, transmission lines were delivering power to the farmlands of South Australia, providing electricity to industrial sites and important war-effort supply stores.
Eventually, the South Australian Government reasoned that an adequate, reliable, and centrally planned electricity supply was key to the growth of the state’s industry and agriculture. The Government formed the Electricity Trust of South Australia (ETSA) and nationalized privately owned electricity companies.
During the 1950s, the Port Augusta power stations came online and the Power Line Carrier communications system was first used to relay a conversation between Northfield and Port Augusta. It enabled the remote operation and monitoring of the transmission network. ElectraNet has the largest private telecommunications network in the state.
The Northern Power Station was commissioned in 1985 to supply additional baseload power. The connection between Adelaide and Port Augusta was also reinforced to meet the growing demands of metropolitan Adelaide. Around the same time, an agreement was made to connect the transmission networks of Victoria and South Australia, and an interconnector was built in Heywood, Victoria.
ElectraNet enters the story in 1998, when the South Australian Premier, John Olsen, announced the privatization of ETSA. We began trading as a private company in 2000.
In 2005, Cathedral Rocks became the first wind farm connected to ElectraNet’s transmission network. We have become the largest connector of wind generation in Australia, and the second-largest wind-to-load ratio in the world.
With demand for electricity continuing to grow in South Australia, we bolstered the high-voltage supply to Adelaide CBD with a new underground cable in 2011. Our commitment to providing stable, reliable, and high-quality electricity continues, with the interconnector in Heywood next in line to be upgraded shortly, to increase the capacity in both directions by 40%.
ElectraNet is a specialist in electricity transmission, providing energy and infrastructure solutions and we’re powered by people.
We help power South Australia and the economy. We own, build and operate the high voltage transmission network that delivers electricity from generators to distributors, enabling retailers to supply power to homes, businesses, and communities.
As a leading asset and network manager, we are trusted to deliver our customers affordable and reliable energy solutions.
We are committed to minimizing, or where possible preventing, environmental impacts as we pursue energy and infrastructure solutions for a better world.
Our policies ensure that every effort is taken to safeguard the environment for future generations to enjoy. We strive to incorporate these aspects into the planning of new developments and to ensure this approach is consistently maintained throughout the asset lifecycle.
Our Environmental Policy underpins our systematic approach to environmental management, and this is supported by robust procedures that we expect all staff and contractors to understand and apply. In recognition of this, ElectraNet’s environmental management system is certified by the International Standards Organization for environmental management, ISO14001.
The guiding principle of ISO14001 is continual improvement, and ElectraNet strives to be authentic in applying this approach to all aspects of our activities.
Some of the ways we do this include: