Summary

Amends the

to: prohibit certain conduct in electricity retail, contract and wholesale markets, broadly relating to retail pricing, financial contract market liquidity and conduct in wholesale spot markets; provide powers and remedies which the ACCC may use if it reasonably believes a corporation has engaged, or is engaging, in prohibited conduct in the electricity sector; enable the Treasurer, following the receipt of a prohibited conduct recommendation from the ACCC, to issue a written order to a corporation or another body to make offers to enter into electricity financial contracts with third party entities; enable the Treasurer, following the receipt of a prohibited conduct recommendation from the ACCC, to apply to the Federal Court (the court) for a divestiture order and for the court to make related orders that a corporation or another body corporate dispose of interests in securities or assets that are part of its electricity business; set out the notice and recommendation procedures that must be followed before an order can be made in respect of a corporation or another body corporate; confer new compulsory information gathering powers on the Australian Energy Regulator (AER); allow the AER to share information with other agencies; and facilitate the conferral of functions related to the regulation of retail electricity prices on the AER.