ActewAGL is Australia's first multi-utility to offer electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater services in a single organisation. At the time of its formation it was the only multi-utility of its kind in Australia.

ActewAGL comprises two joint ventures: a retail joint venture between AGL Energy and ACTEW Corporation and a distribution joint venture between Jemena and ACTEW Corporation.

ActewAGL provides utility services in the Australian Capital Territory

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...

 (ACT) and South-east New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

.

History

ActewAGL was formed in October 2000 when the Australian Gas Light Company

Australian Gas Light Company

The Australian Gas Light Company was an Australian gas and electricity retailer. It was formed in Sydney in 1837, and supplied town gas for the first public lighting of a street lamp in Sydney in 1841 AGL was the second company to list on the Australian Stock Exchange. The company gradually...

 (AGL) and ACTEW Corporation

ACTEW Corporation

ACTEW Corporation Limited is a government-owned company with assets and investments in water, wastewater, electricity, gas and telecommunications. ACTEW is wholly owned by the ACT Government...

, an ACT Government-owned enterprise, entered into Australia's first utility joint venture.

Following October 2006 business dealings with AGL

AGL Energy

AGL Energy is the largest Australian gas and electricity retailer, with over six million customers. It has large investments in the supply of gas and electricity, and has recently invested in sustainable energy businesses such as wind farms and a hydroelectric power station in Victoria’s High...

 and Alinta

Alinta

Alinta is an Australian energy infrastructure company. It has grown from a small, Western Australia based gas distributor and retailer to the largest energy infrastructure company in Australia. It was bought in 2007 by a consortium including Singapore Power and various now defunct Babcock & Brown...

, ownership of ActewAGL's retail arm was shared equally between AGL Energy

AGL Energy

AGL Energy is the largest Australian gas and electricity retailer, with over six million customers. It has large investments in the supply of gas and electricity, and has recently invested in sustainable energy businesses such as wind farms and a hydroelectric power station in Victoria’s High...

 and ACTEW Corporation

ACTEW Corporation

ACTEW Corporation Limited is a government-owned company with assets and investments in water, wastewater, electricity, gas and telecommunications. ACTEW is wholly owned by the ACT Government...

 and ownership of ActewAGL's distribution arm was shared equally between Alinta

Alinta

Alinta is an Australian energy infrastructure company. It has grown from a small, Western Australia based gas distributor and retailer to the largest energy infrastructure company in Australia. It was bought in 2007 by a consortium including Singapore Power and various now defunct Babcock & Brown...

 and ACTEW Corporation

ACTEW Corporation

ACTEW Corporation Limited is a government-owned company with assets and investments in water, wastewater, electricity, gas and telecommunications. ACTEW is wholly owned by the ACT Government...

. Further changes to the distribution partnership occurred when a consortium including Singapore Power

Singapore Power

Singapore Power is a company which provides electricity and gas transmission, distribution services, and market support services to more than a million customers in Singapore. It is the only electricity company in Singapore, and is also one of the largest corporations in Singapore...

 purchased Alinta

Alinta

Alinta is an Australian energy infrastructure company. It has grown from a small, Western Australia based gas distributor and retailer to the largest energy infrastructure company in Australia. It was bought in 2007 by a consortium including Singapore Power and various now defunct Babcock & Brown...

 in 2007. Alinta changed its name in 2008 to Jemena. The distribution partnership is now owned equally by Jemena

Jemena

Jemena is an Australian energy infrastructure company. It has grown from a small, Western Australia based gas distributor and retailer to the largest energy infrastructure company in Australia. It has become known for its aggressive approach to growth through acquisition and financial engineering...

 and ACTEW Corporation

ACTEW Corporation

ACTEW Corporation Limited is a government-owned company with assets and investments in water, wastewater, electricity, gas and telecommunications. ACTEW is wholly owned by the ACT Government...

.

In February 2004, ActewAGL entered into a management agreement with TransACT Capital Communications Pty Ltd. This means that ActewAGL now manages the day-to-day operations of TransACT

TransACT

TransACT Capital Communications is an Australian telecommunications company based in Canberra which provides broadband internet access, fixed telephony, cable television services, and mobile phone services in Canberra and a subset of these services in Queanbeyan, throughout South-east New South...

. The TransACT network provides access to full telecommunication services.

Green initiatives

Since its beginning, ActewAGL has continued to undertake several innovative programs to help the environment. They include the following.

• Greenchoice – This is a program that lets residential and business customers support environmentally friendly green energy by paying a premium on their electricity bill (either fixed or percentage based plans). The additional payment is invested in renewable energy generation from sources like mini hydro, wind power and biomass.

The Greenchoice program is independently assessed by the Australian government's National Green Power Accreditation Program to guarantee that the green energy produced by ActewAGL comes from government-approved renewable energy sources.

• ActewAGL solar – The purpose of this initiative is to encourage the use of renewable energy sources, by offering support and advice to those interested in installing solar generation systems to their homes.

• ActewAGL hydro – While most hydro-electric developments require the building of dams and lakes, ActewAGL's mini-hydro uses an existing water supply to provide electricity that would otherwise come from fossil-fuel power stations.

• Solar farm – In early 2008 ActewAGL worked with the ACT Government to study the feasibility of developing a solar farm in the ACT. The study investigated the environmental impact, economic viability and educational benefits of such a facility. In May 2009 the ACT Government called for expressions of interest to construct, own and operate a solar power facility in the ACT. The government specified the facility must be capable of delivering power to at least 10,000 Canberra homes. ActewAGL responded to this request and in December 2009 were advised that they had been shortlisted to move through to the next stage of the selection process.

• Battery electric vehicle
  Battery electric vehicle
  A battery electric vehicle, or BEV, is a type of electric vehicle that uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs. BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of, or in addition to, internal combustion engines for propulsion.A battery-only electric vehicle or...
  
  – ActewAGL is assisting Better Place Australia in the establishment of their first Australian electric vehicle network in Canberra. In July 2009, Better Place Australia announced that it had chosen Canberra for its first city-wide roll-out in Australia. Better Place will commence installation of its charge spots and battery swap stations in 2011 and start supporting approximately 1,000 trial electric vehicle customers in Canberra from 2012. ActewAGL will support the electric vehicle network by supplying and distributing electricity from renewable sources.