In WA, Western Power chairman Neil Hamilton has threatened to quit unless presented with a clear, decisive goal, while Queensland's Energex is fighting government moves to redirect some of its maintenance funding to the education and health portfolios.

Western Power was supposed to be operating as four separate entities from last month under energy market reforms to attract private producer investment, but key legislation was blocked by the Liberal Party in the Legislative Council.

Hamilton said that without any resolution he would be forced to resign after the upcoming election and the current impasse would prove fatal to Western Power. Hamilton did add that he would consider staying if a clear direction was delivered.

In Queensland premier Peter Beattie has struck back at media reports that Energex's maintenance would be crippled due to the redirection of up to $716 million in power profits.

Energex claimed the money was necessary for investment in IT systems required to support operations in a new deregulated market.

However Beattie claimed the money was never destined for non-essential maintenance.

"The Government had made no decision at that time to deregulate the market in Queensland and that is still the case.

"We believe some of the $716 million would be better invested in schools and hospitals.

"The bottom line in all this, is that we only took money from profits after Energex had put aside money for maintenance," said Beattie.