Who is ENERGEX?

ENERGEX Limited is a government-owned electricity network (GOC) and one of the largest electricity companies in Australia.

For more than 85 years, ENERGEX has delivered electricity to South East Queensland. That is an area about 25,000 km2. Over the years, the population of the south east has greatly increased (2.7 million in May 2007) thus increasing the demand for electricity. Each year, ENERGEX improves and builds on the electricity network to meet the needs of the community.

There is now more than 50,000km of underground and overhead electricity lines and cables in the ENERGEX network serving more than 1.3 million homes and businesses in South East Queensland.

With assets worth more than $6.6 billion, more than 3800 staff are employed in a range of roles. Staff work together to maintain the poles and wires network and deliver a safe and reliable electricity supply to the community. ENERGEX employs a wide range of people from administration to trades. For the electricity network to operate, specific industry knowledge is required from skilled professionals. Engineers, electricians, and field staff design including powerline workers, cable jointers and scopers work play an important role in building and maintain the electricity network.

Electricity is a fascinating source of energy, but also extremely dangerous. Safety is a priority at ENERGEX. ENERGEX operates according to laws and regulations and a code of practice to help create safe environments for staff and the community.

What is an electricity network?

ENERGEX operates and maintains an electricity network. Its purpose is to deliver safe and reliable electricity to where it is needed.

Even before you switch on a light or turn on your computer, the electricity has already made a long journey. Electricity is generated at power stations, normally located in regional areas some distance from city centres. A network of poles and wires transports the electricity over thousands of kilometres to substations which reduce the electricity voltage and feed the electricity into a lower voltage networks to suburbs, towns and individual customers. The electricity voltage like pressure is further reduced before being delivered to homes, offices and buildings. Some large energy users, like industries, receive electricity directly from a transmission line.

distribution chain:

ENERGEX substation control (177k) (virtual tour)

Electricity is supplied to ENERGEX through a high-voltage transmission network that is owned and operated by Powerlink Queensland, also a state government owned GOC. As electricity cannot be stored or branded to distinguish where it was generated, all electricity is centrally pooled and allocated when and where it is expected to be used. This pool is managed by the National Electricity Market Management Company (NEMMCO).

Transmission and distribution of electricity

At ENERGEX, there are two important elements in the electricity delivery – transmission and distribution. Transmission refers to the bulk transfer of electrical power from place to place. Typically, power transmission is between the power plant and a substation near a populated area. Due to the large amount of power involved, transmission normally takes place at high voltage (110 kV or above). Queensland has one of the largest transmission systems in the world stretching from the Gold Coast to Carins.

Distribution delivers a lower voltage from the substation to the consumers. Transformers reduce the power voltage before it reaches its destination. The standard voltage for Queensland homes is about 240 volts.

Energy networks at work

Energy networks play an integral part in living standards. Everyday, millions of people use energy delivered by energy networks. It is used daily in homes to cook dinners and heat water, and at places of work to provide light, operate computers and machines and run important community places like schools and hospitals. In Australia, energy network businesses deliver electricity and gas to over 12 million customer connections. This uses approximately 800 000 kilometres of electricity distribution powerlines and 75 000 kilometres of gas distribution pipelines – networks worth more than $35 billion.

As the population grows, more energy is needed to be produced and distributed to new areas. Each year network businesses invest more than $5 billion in network reinforcement and expansions. ENERGEX sponsoring the community

ENERGEX works with communities to make South East Queensland a great place to live. There are many activities that ENERGEX supports – from the ENERGEX Community Rescue Helicopter to community festivals and events, including sponsoring local sporting teams and school fetes.

The ENERGEX Community Rescue Helicopter provides an essential, life saving service. Every year, they help rescue hundreds of people from many different backgrounds. Visit the chopper website at www.rescuechopper.com.au for more on the history and stories from those rescued by the ENERGEX sponsored choppers.



Contact ENERGEX

general enquiries
Telephone: 13 12 53
Hours: 8am - 6.30pm Monday to Friday
Online: contact customer service
loss of supply
Telephone: 13 62 62
electricity emergencies
Telephone: 13 19 62

ENERGEX Limited Headquarters
150 Charlotte Street, GPO Box 1461
Brisbane Qld Australia 4001
Telephone: + 61 7 3407 4000
Facsimile: + 61 7 3407 4609

ENERGEX New Zealand
207-211 Station Rd, PO Box 12948
Penrose Auckland New Zealand
Telephone: + 64 9 978 2999
Facsimile: + 64 9 978 2900
email: info@energex.co.nz
web: www.energex.co.nz
ENERGEX is the trading name of:
ENERGEX Limited ABN 40 078 849 055