Operator & Industry Structure

 The Technical Regulator is responsible for the monitoring and regulation of safety and technical standards in the electricity supply industry.

Safety and technical standards have been progressively developed in consultation with the electricity supply industry, end users, and manufacturers of equipment, and define minimum requirements for the various components of electricity supply.

They include Australian/New Zealand Standards, standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), guidelines of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), and Energy Supply Association of Australia (ESAA) codes. The ESAA codes, which are indicative of best practice in the Australian electricity supply industry, have been included in the Electricity (General) Regulations 1997 and are now binding on electrical entities in this State.

The major sectors of the electricity supply industry are generation (generation of electricity in power stations), transmission (the transport of electricity to the distribution network by high voltage transmission lines), distribution (the distribution of electricity to consumers through the distribution network) and retail. With the advent of the National Electricity Market (NEM), all participating jurisdictions have introduced vertical separation between generation, transmission and distribution. Participating jurisdictions have also introduced horizontal separation in generation, producing a number of competing generators.

In South Australia, the major power stations are owned and operated by a number of generation companies at Torrens Island, Pelican Point, Port Augusta, and Osborne (a cogeneration station which supplies steam as well as power). Smaller power stations at Dry Creek, Snuggery, Mintaro, Quarantine, Hallett and Port Lincoln are mainly used to provide peak loads, while one near Penola receives fuel from a local gas field. .

 
The transmission system transports power from the power stations to the distribution system. The major transmission entity in the State, ElectraNet, owns and operates a network of over 5600 circuit kilometres of transmission lines, which operate at nominal voltages of 275kV, 132kV and 66kV, as well as 76 substations and switchyards. ElectraNet also performs the system control function on behalf of NEMMCO. The control centre, located in Adelaide, provides system control and data acquisition facilities to monitor system conditions and control associated equipment in the transmission network.

The distribution network delivers power to homes and businesses. The distribution network operator, ETSA Utilities, owns and maintains over 80 000 kilometres of distribution lines spread over 178 200 square kilometres. The lines operate at 66kV, 33kV, 19kV (SWER), 11kV, 7.6kV, and low voltage (400 / 230V).
 
ETSA Utilities also owns 351 substations and switchyards. The South Australian distribution network serves more than 761 000 customers (households, businesses, etc).