AGL’s Michael Fraser third on Power Index’s ‘carbon cutters’ list

AGL chief Michael Fraser has been ranked third on The Power Index’s carbon cutters list, which looks at the most powerful people in environment policy in Australia.

Over at LeadingCompany’s sister site, Crikey, Tristan Edis writes:

“It may surprise many that Michael Fraser, CEO of Australia’s largest carbon emitter listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, sits at number three on the list of the most powerful people behind Australia’s push to a low-carbon economy.

“But there isn’t any other major energy company in Australia that has taken an active and unambiguous stand in favour of pricing carbon and maintaining Australia’s Renewable Energy Target the way Fraser’s AGL has. The other major private sector energy companies have either outright lobbied against the carbon price and the RET (EnergyAustralia and GDF Suez; formerly International Power), or in the case of Santos and Origin Energy backed away from prominent support for the carbon price as their LNG businesses became central to growth, while never being particularly supportive of the enlarged RET.

“AGL is indisputably one of the big boys in Australia’s domestic electricity and gas markets. It’s the second-largest energy retailer in the country; the third-largest private sector operator of power generation capacity. While other large corporates such as banks have also backed carbon pricing, it’s AGL’s experience in the main carbon game of energy that has lent genuine credibility to calls for carbon pricing and the feasibility of the RET.

“Plus AGL has put its money where its mouth is as the largest private owner of renewable energy generating capacity in the country.”

The full piece can be read here with a Crikey trial.