Almost half of Liberal voters in Treasurer Mike Nahan's safe seat of Riverton are opposed to the proposed privatisation of utility Western Power, according to ReachTel data.
The state's five port authorities posted substantially lower net incomes in the 2016 financial year but were still in the black by $223 million, according to annual reports tabled in parliament in recent weeks.
Colin Barnett has seen off an attempted spill motion at today's party room meeting by 31 votes to 15, emerging with what he claimed was a united Liberal team after a ‘therapeutic' exercise.
A planned solar farm near Cunderdin will boost its capacity by 300 per cent due to its favourable economic potential, despite about a gigawatt of excess capacity available in the South West's electricity network
SPECIAL REPORT: Discussion about a sale of Western Power is taking place against a backdrop of rapid technological change in the sector, as networks brace for an onslaught of competition from battery storage.
Fertiliser and property magnate Vikas Rambal is making a move into renewable energy, buying a 50 per cent stake in Enigin WA, which will build the state's largest built environment solar panel installation at his Northam Boulevard shopping centre.
Treasurer Mike Nahan has said encouraging private investment in the Pilbara electricity grid could reduce its excess capacity and also energy prices in the north west, at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia lunch today.
Premier Colin Barnett has softened his position on the proposed privatisation of Western Power, saying it could be used by Labor as a scare campaign in the state election next year.
Legislation to enable regulation of Western Power to transition from WA's Economic Regulation Authority to the independent national energy regulator has been introduced to state parliament.
New technology is leading to a dramatic reduction in per capita power use around Australia, a new report has found, but WA has bucked the trend, as the only state where residential energy consumption is expected to increase over the coming decade.
SPECIAL REPORT: Growing infrastructure needs and a diminishing capacity to fund them is a major challenge for WA, according to key players who attended a recent Business News forum.
THE sale of major public assets is looming as the only realistic option for a government of either stripe hoping to reclaim the state's AAA credit rating and fund infrastructure needs in the decade
Western Australia's peak business group has welcomed the state government's budget, but other business groups believed more could have been done for their respective sectors.
Treasurer Mike Nahan hopes to raise $16 billion from an expanded asset sales program, with Western Power and Horizon Power's Pilbara transmission lines now targeted but two other assets unexpectedly removed from the government's sell-off list.
Treasurer Mike Nahan has poured cold water on a report that argued Western Power was a major cash spinner for the government, saying the corporation paid a net dividend of less than $30 million to the state last year.
Perth company director Sharon Warburton has been named as the incoming chair of a soon-to-be-established federal government fund that will have $5 billion to spend on infrastructure in northern Australia.
Residents at Alkimos Beach and White Gum Valley are set to participate in trials of solar energy technology and battery storage that could lead to large reductions in power bills.
Western Power advised its staff yesterday that an estimated 215 roles are no longer needed as the utility continues a three-year program that has already cut more than 300 jobs.
SPECIAL REPORT: A flurry of deals over the past fortnight, including four acquisitions by international companies expanding in Western Australia and the year's largest capital raising, has added life to a flat corporate finance market.
Consumers should expect to pay less for their electricity in the long term as a result of sweeping changes to Western Australia's energy market that aim to slash the cost of supply, Energy Minister Mike Nahan says.
Wesfarmers subsidiary, Kleenheat, has secured 19 per cent of the state's business market in just its third year of operation, according to general manager Mark Gadsby.
SPECIAL REPORT: The number of women serving on company boards is slowly one the rise, but it's still rare to see a female take the chair, judging by Business News's analysis of Western Australian company directors.
SPECIAL REPORT: There has been a major shift in business influence in WA amid waning international investment and, with two elections on the way, there is a prospect of even bigger changes in political influence. Click through to see our listing of WA's most infliential leaders in politics and business.
Investment banking giant Credit Suisse has dealt a blow to the state government's hopes of a big windfall from the privatisation of Western Australia's TAB, revising its value estimate down by at least 65 per cent to under $250 million.
Thermal power company Enerji has been appointed co-developer in a $300,000 state-run trial to determine the economic case for a micro electricity grid in Kalbarri that could potentially become Australia's biggest fringe-of-grid network.
SPECIAL REPORT: Garden products manufacturer Richgro has marked its centenary by completing a major capital project that adds a new dimension to the business.
Any trade union-backed court challenge to the state government's updated wage policy would result in job losses in the public sector, Treasurer Mike Nahan warned today, as above inflation pay rises would need to be offset through lower staff numbers.
The impact on economic development and power prices from a sale of the state's electricity network could be managed by a strong regulatory framework, Premier Colin Barnett said today, as he continued to reassess his view on the ownership of Western Power.
A public sector wage freeze, amalgamations of major departments and a reform of health would be key moves to fix the state government's worsening debt position, according to Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA's pre-budget draft submission.
The state government has completed the first in a series of planned asset sales, announcing that it has concluded negotiations with an industry consortium to purchase the Perth Market Authority's Market City.
There is little immediate prospect of the state government expanding its current $5 billion asset sales program, despite Premier Colin Barnett seeming to flirt with the possibility this week.
