Australias North West Shelf Gas Project

Western Australia is one of the world's great energy and mineral provinces, and much of its economic history has been shaped by the interaction between mineral-industry developments and government policy. A central feature of this experience has been avoidance of market mechanisms, and excessive reliance on detailed regulation to achieve policy goals. With decisions about future energy policy imminent, The Great Energy Debate provides a timely analysis of the importance of energy costs to the whole Western Australian economy. It lays down benchmarks against which policy proposals can be measured, and raises questions such as: How much competition (and regulation) should there be in the electricity industry to promote the future development of the State? What are the linkages between large mineral, and mineral-processing projects and the rest of the State's economy? How can Western Australia have a competitive and cost-effective energy sector? The Great Energy Debate not only examines future energy projects, but also makes some provocative proposals for the reform of energy policy in Western Australia.