"So, the government has told energy companies that, by 2020,...

"So, the government has told energy companies that, by 2020, they can add a total of £7.6bn to household bills to help pay for all the new power plants, windfarms etc. This, coincidently, is about the same amount as the UK currently spends on importing gas.

By allowing energy providers to charge more, the government hopes they will have the confidence to invest heavily in clean power. Without that certainty, energy companies would, understandably, be unwilling to invest such vast sums of money."

But, will they??? That is the $64k dollars question.

After all, even with the current increases to the electricity prices here in OZ, how much do the energy retailers are spending in infrastructure? Take out what the states are spending on it, and you will soon see how much of it they do spend.

There have been places around the world already where energy companies have bled the consumers to hell, then let the infrastructures fall to pieces, that walked away leaving Governments to pick up the pieces of what they had left.

As for MEL, I do really hope that they will start negotiating in an amicable way with the LTG people, the farmers, and whoever else is on the way in opposing them to proceed, then drilling some wells soon enough and start supplying some of their customers waiting on the sidleine, so that our sp will start moving forward.

We have been in a metamorphosis situation for far too long IMO, and if we don't start soon, my opinion is that someone else will pick the pieces of what we have left.