---
title: Australian energy consumers overcharged and renewable transition held back by regulatory flaws
description: A new report has revealed that flaws in the regulation of Australia’s electricity network have delivered billions of dollars worth of profits to poles and wires companies, at the expense of consumers and hindering the transition to renewables.
---
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The Canopy is a weekday morning email newsletter provided by the team at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
# Australian energy consumers overcharged and renewable transition held back by regulatory flaws
Wednesday, 5 October 2022
A new report has revealed that flaws in the regulation of Australia’s electricity network have delivered billions of dollars worth of profits to poles and wires companies, at the expense of consumers and hindering the transition to renewables.
The unproven nuclear reactors being touted by the Coalition would increase energy bills, slow the uptake of renewables, risk catastrophic accidents, and pose new challenges from nuclear waste, according to new research from the Australian Conservation Foundation.
And the ACCC is cracking down on greenwashing with an imminent online sweep, planning to analyse 200 company websites and third party review platforms for potential misleading environmental claims.
[Electricity networks overcharged consumers $10 billion, report claims](https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/electricity-networks-overcharged-consumers-10-billion-report-claims-20221004-p5bn4r.html)
Households and businesses were overcharged $10 billion on their electricity bills between 2014 and 2021, according to a new report that argues network companies were permitted to reap profits 67 per cent higher than the “normal” during that period.
[‘Unproven’ small nuclear reactors would raise energy costs and delay renewable uptake, report says](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/oct/05/unproven-small-nuclear-reactors-would-raise-energy-costs-and-delay-renewable-uptake-report-says)
Report from Australian Conservation Foundation finds modular reactors are expensive and introduce unnecessary challenges in managing radioactive waste
[Internet sweep to target ‘greenwashing’ and fake online reviews in ACCC crackdown](https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/internet-sweep-to-target-greenwashing-and-fake-online-reviews-in-accc-crackdown-20221004-p5bn4p.html)
Social media influencers and businesses who make misleading environmental claims could face enforcement action as the consumer watchdog begins an internet sweep in its crackdown on greenwashing.
[‘Show us the money,’ environment groups say after Labor sets goal of preventing any new extinctions](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/oct/05/show-us-the-money-environment-groups-say-after-labor-sets-goal-of-preventing-any-new-extinctions)
The federal government will need to drastically increase funding for nature conservation in this month’s budget if it wants to prevent further extinction of native wildlife, conservationists say.
[Wave energy machines on Australian south coast would slash renewable energy costs, CSIRO says](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/05/wave-energy-machines-on-australian-south-coast-would-slash-renewable-energy-costs-csiro-says)
Deploying wave energy machines would make a future clean electricity grid more stable, more reliable and would dramatically cut the costs of buying batteries to store renewable energy, according to a new CSIRO report.
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