Orchison said national energy ministers were scheduled to meet at the beginning of next month for the CoAG Ministerial Council on Energy to flesh out the in-priciple decisions on energy market governance they made in June.

Likewise, the Prime Minister, State premiers and Territory chief ministers will meet at the end of August to discuss the Parer Report (the CoAG market review chaired by former Federal Resources Minister, Warwick Parer).

"The first ministers' deliberations will include recommendations made by the Parer Panel on greenhouse policy - and the MRET Review (the Federal Government's review of mandatory renewable energy targets) will also be winding up its study in August ahead of a mid-September report to Federal Government," Orchison said on the ESSA website.

"The decisions made in these meetings will shape the electricity market in particular for years to come."

Orchison said the ESSA-endorsed "National Power and Gas 2003" conference in Sydney in mid-August was therefore timely and a great opportunity for industry stakeholders to make comment on new policy.

The conference will run from August 18-20 and be chaired by Australian Gas Association chief executive Bill Nagle.