ERM Power

In 1980, Trevor St Baker founded ERM Power as a specialized energy advisory firm in Australia. For years, it operated in this niche, but the deregulation of the Australian electricity industry in the mid-1990s presented a new opportunity. The company transformed, stepping into power development to build new generation capacity. A further shift came in 2007. Responding to increased privatization in the energy sector, ERM diversified into electricity retailing, focusing exclusively on business customers. This move proved critical. The company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in December 2010 with a $100 million IPO. By focusing on commercial and industrial clients, ERM grew to become the second-largest electricity retailer by load in Australia. The company’s success and strategic position did not go unnoticed. In August 2019, global energy giant Shell made a move, announcing its intention to acquire ERM Power for approximately $617 million. The acquisition was completed in November 2019, and ERM was delisted from the stock exchange. Shell rebranded the company as Shell Energy, positioning it as its core power platform to accelerate its growth in the Australian integrated power market.