Essential Energy

Essential Energy
	Essential Energy logo
State-owned statutory corporation overview
Formed	1 March 2011
Preceding State-owned statutory corporation	Country Energy; Australian Inland Energy and Water; ;
Jurisdiction	Regional, rural and remote New South Wales
Headquarters	8 Buller Street, Port Macquarie, New South Wales
Employees	3,280 (2023)
Minister responsible	Penny Sharpe, Minister for Energy and Climate Change;
State-owned statutory corporation executives	Doug Halley, Chair; John Cleland, CEO;
Parent department	Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Website	essentialenergy.com.au

Essential Energy is a state-owned electricity infrastructure company which owns, maintains and operates the electrical distribution networks for much of New South Wales, covering 95 percent of the state geography (and some neighbouring parts of Queensland).^[2] It also owns the reticulated water network in Broken Hill through Essential Water, formerly Australian Inland Energy and Water.^[3]

Essential Energy was formed from the previously state-owned energy business, Country Energy, when the retail division of the company, along with the Country Energy brand, was sold by the NSW Government in 2011 to Origin Energy.