Sunset Power International (Delta Electricity)

InfluenceMap Score
for Climate Policy Engagement
F
Performance Band
8%
Organization Score
63%
Relationship Score
Sector:
Utilities
Head​quarters:
Sydney, Australia
Official Web Site:
Wikipedia:

Climate Policy Engagement Overview Sunset Power International, trading as Delta Electricity, appears to be broadly unsupportive of climate change policy. It has not endorsed the Australian net-zero target by 2050. At the same time, it has advocated for a continued role of coal in the energy mix and emphasized that climate policy should focus on keeping electricity supply stable and affordable.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy Delta Electricity’s top-line messaging on climate policy appears to be unsupportive of ambitious climate action in Australia. In the company’s 2019 New South Wales’ Energy Supply and Resource submission, it appeared to emphasize the negative impact on the economy and jobs if Australia were to set ambitious emission reduction targets while also expressing concern with high abatement costs and the failure of other countries to act on climate change. In the same submission, Delta Electricity seemed to advocate against government regulation in response to climate change, instead stating its preference for a market-based and technology-neutral approach. Furthermore, in 2020, Greg Everett, CEO of Delta Electricity, asserted that policy should focus on addressing the nearer-term emissions reduction objectives and keeping electricity price low and that Delta does not endorse the net-zero emissions by 2050 target.

Engagement with Climate-related Regulations Delta Electricity’s engagement with climate-related regulation appears to be negative, albeit limited. In a response to the National Energy Guarantee consultation questionnaire submitted in 2018, the company opposed state-based renewable energy subsidies and ambitious targets of emissions reductions over concern with volatility in electricity prices and international competitiveness of Australian industries. In a consultation response submitted in 2019, Delta Electricity opposed an expansion of the Renewable Energy Target (RET), and additional supportive measures for renewable energy at state-level. The company also appears to use support for the National Energy Guarantee to oppose more ambitious state-level emission reduction targets.

Positioning on Energy Transition Delta Electricity position on the energy transition appears to be negative, with the company seeming to support a long-term role of fossil fuels in the energy mix. In 2019, Delta Electricity lobbied for a continued role of coal and gas in power generation over the coming decade as the NEM transitions to a lower carbon intensity. Similarly, in its 2020 consultation response to ESB’s roadmap of energy market reforms, the company advocated that ESB should recognize the potential value of life extensions of existing thermal synchronous generators in facilitating energy transition rather than seeking to drive the exit of them.

Moreover, Freedom of Information documents requested by the Guardian suggest that, in 2019, senior executives of Delta Electricity reached out to the offices of Environment Minister Melissa Price and Energy Minister Angus Taylor through a consultant to advocate for a review of how climate change policies could be used to upgrade coal-fired power stations. In an August 2021 letter to policymakers, Delta Electricity, alongside several other energy companies, stated support for government reform that would pay coal and gas generators to guarantee future capacity, with a likelihood of continuing the role for coal in the energy mix. In a June 2021 consultation response, Delta Electricity stated support for the maintenance of thermal coal supply and investment in Australia's energy mix through a physical Retailer Reliability Obligation (RRO), a mechanism that would effectively subsidize ageing gas and coal plants.

Industry Association Governance Delta Electricity’s engagement with industry associations is not transparent. InfluenceMap has not been able to find a dedicated disclosure of Delta’s industry association membership and reviews of their alignment on climate change.

QUERIES
DATA SOURCES
NSNSNANSNSNSNS
NSNSNS-1NS-2NS
NSNSNS-2NSNSNS
NSNSNSNSNSNSNS
-2NANSNANANANS
NSNSNSNSNSNSNS
NSNSNSNSNSNSNS
NSNSNSNSNSNSNS
NSNSNS-2NSNSNS
NS-1NS-2-2-2NS
NSNSNS-1NSNSNS
-2NSNSNANANANS
NSNSNSNSNSNSNS
Strength of Relationship
STRONG
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
WEAK
 
63%
 
63%

How to Read our Relationship Score Map

In this section, we depict graphically the relationships the corporation has with trade associations, federations, advocacy groups and other third parties who may be acting on their behalf to influence climate change policy. Each of the columns above represents one relationship the corporation appears to have with such a third party. In these columns, the top, dark section represents the strength of the relationship the corporation has with the influencer. For example if a corporation's senior executive also held a key role in the trade association, we would deem this to be a strong relationship and it would be on the far left of the chart above, with the weaker ones to the right. Click on these grey shaded upper sections for details of these relationships. The middle section contains a link to the organization score details of the influencer concerned, so you can see the details of its climate change policy influence. Click on the middle sections for for details of the trade associations. The lower section contains the organization score of that influencer, the lower the more negatively it is influencing climate policy.