Chairman of the Australian Energy Market Commission, John Pierce, today released the 2011 AEMC Strategic Priorities Discussion Paper which explains the most important challenges and opportunities for energy market development in Australia today. 

Mr Pierce called for community comment on the paper. Submissions are due on 13 May 2011. 

"We are looking to develop a well-informed debate on what really matters for market development and outcomes," Mr Pierce said. 

"The AEMC is the body responsible for advising the Ministerial Council on Energy and it is important that we explain our views and maintain close conversations with community, industry and federal, state and territory governments - especially at this watershed in the sector's history," he said. 

"We seek contributions from all stakeholders who have an interest in the future of the nation's energy sector. Your contributions will refine and develop the key priorities to be reflected in our work programme for the year ahead. 

"We want to bring ideas together on priority market outcomes for Australia and ensure those priorities are being addressed," he said. 

The AEMC discussion paper was launched by the Minister for Energy and Resources, the Hon Martin Ferguson AM MP, at a stakeholder forum in Melbourne. 

The paper has three proposed priorities for consideration in relation to energy market development and outcomes: 

• The need for unprecedented investment in generation capacity over the next decade to maintain reliability and security of supply, to meet rising peak demand, to respond efficiently to government climate change policies and enhance competition;
• The need to facilitate the expansion of cost effective consumer choices and improve energy efficiency; and
• The need to focus on generation investment by helping to ensure that the arrangements for investment decisions, and for funding and pricing for the use of the transmission network are well thought through and will contribute to our objective to help minimise the overall costs of transmission and generation.

Submissions can be registered at submissions@aemc.gov.au.

"We will continue to monitor and analyse developments in the Australian energy sector and re-evaluate our work programme on an annual basis. Stakeholder responses to this paper will make important contributions to our thinking on options and alternatives for market development. We especially look to those in industry who have the closest day to day working relationships with households and businesses - and who carry such a large share of the responsibility to deliver better outcomes for customers in the years ahead," Mr Pierce said.

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