Essential Energy

{{short description|Australian state-owned utility}}

{{Use Australian English|date=May 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox government agency

| name = Essential Energy

| type = State-owned statutory corporation

| logo = File:Essential Energy logo.png

| logo_size =

| logo_caption = Essential Energy logo

| logo_alt = As per cation

| formed = {{Start date|2011|03|01|df=y}}

| preceding1 = {{bulleted list|Country Energy|Australian Inland Energy and Water}}

| preceding2 =

| dissolved =

| superseding1 =

| superseding2 =

| agency_type =

| jurisdiction = Regional, rural and remote New South Wales

| status =

| headquarters = 8 Buller Street, Port Macquarie, New South Wales

| coordinates =

| motto =

| employees = 3,280 (2023){{cite report|title=Essential Energy Annual Report 2022-23|url=https://www.essentialenergy.com.au/-/media/Project/EssentialEnergy/Website/Files/About-Us/Essential-Energy-Annual-Report-2022-23.pdf|publisher=Essential Energy|year=2023|section=Overview|page=6}}

| budget =

| minister_type =

| minister1_name = Penny Sharpe

| minister1_pfo = Minister for Energy and Climate Change

| chief1_name = Doug Halley

| chief1_position = Chair

| chief2_name = John Cleland

| chief2_position = CEO

| parent_department = Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

| website = {{URL|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).{{cite web|last=Essential Energy|title=Essential Energy - Our Energy Network|url=http://www.essentialenergy.com.au/content/Our-energy-network|access-date=1 March 2011}} It also owns the reticulated water network in Broken Hill through Essential Water, formerly Australian Inland Energy and Water.{{cite web|last=Essential Water|title=Essential Water - About Us|url=http://www.essentialwater.com.au/content/about-us|access-date=1 March 2011}}

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.