Oil dropped below $US50 a barrel as investors lost faith that an extension of OPEC-led supply cuts will ease a global glut.

Tasmania could become a "battery for Australia" under a proposal to double the capacity of the country's largest hydro power scheme, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has declared.

Oil slumped to a two-week low overnight, after US data showed a smaller-than-expected drop in overall crude stocks.

The farm could power more than 300,000 homes, according to proponents.

Citigroup joined Goldman Sachs in backing commodities, saying it's the season to have faith in raw materials and oil.

Crude oil prices slipped 1 per cent overnight in subdued trading, on news of rising US shale production and profit-taking

Canberra should step into the gas market to head off a looming supply crunch

The head of Victoria's energy watchdog has warned that households are being lured into deals with the promise of large discounts unaware that companies can ratchet up prices at any time.

Oil capped its third weekly gain after the IEA said production cuts have brought world markets "very close to balance".

The largest acquisition by a Chinese government entity of Australian assets has been greenlighted with FIRB not opposing the $US2.5 billion purchase of Rio Tinto's suite of NSW coal assets.

BHP has ramped up its campaign opposing a push to adopt a simplified corporate structure, arguing it could cost as much as $US1.3 billion for negligible gain

• ANALYSIS

Do BHP shares trade at a discount or a premium? Asking the correct question is essential in deciding whether any rejig has merit.

One of BHP Billiton's largest shareholders has called for an overhaul of the group's structure which it argues could release billions in dollars of value for shareholders

Oil rose toward $US56 a barrel, supported by another shutdown at Libya's largest oilfield over the weekend.

The wisdom of a campaign by the Turnbull government emphasising the risks of moving too rapidly to renewable energy has been thrown into question by polling that suggests a majority of its supporters don't agree.

• COMMENT

We can create a modern national energy system if we let informed regulators and the Chief Scientist Alan Finkel do their work unhindered.

Increasingly high prices for increasingly unreliable electricity are a direct consequence of government regulation.

Government coffers will benefit from the "stronger for longer" spike in commodity prices.

The scale of water demand from Adani's giant coal mine in Queensland appears to be larger than expected, with the company seeking approval for a large additional flood-harvesting dam.

​Oil prices eases from one-month high after a surprise increase in US crude inventories to a record high.

One of the country's major energy companies, Origin Energy, has been slapped with a heavy fine for failing to accurately report data - relating to hot water systems

Extreme heat is a test. It tests people and the systems they rely on, not least the electricity system. So in a post-Hazelwood world, how will the national electricity grid cope during hot days as we seek comfort by cranking up our cooling systems?

Oil prices rose, supported by an unplanned outage in the North Sea and expectations of a drawdown in US crude inventories.

The proposed Adani coal mine has been granted unlimited access to groundwater in a move farmers fear will allow it to drain huge amounts of water from the Great Artesian Basin.

Dozens of companies from 10 countries are vying with Elon Musk's Tesla Inc to install Australia's largest grid-scale battery to help keep the lights on in the country's most wind-dependent state.

Aurizon has warned that Cyclone Debbie will hit earnings for fiscal 2017, with rail links in central Queensland to be closed for weeks

Coal-related pollutants continue to rise at many of the country's biggest mines, power plants and export facilities, prompting demands for stricter controls to limit health damage costing billions of dollars a year.

Little more than a day after coal shipments recommenced on part of Queensland's extensive coal railway network, flooding forced the shutdown of operations on the Blackwater coal rail system.

What can be done to make sure the national electricity grid runs smoothly, not just next summer but in future summers as more coal plants inevitably shut and we move to a cleaner electricity grid?