Australian taxpayers foot $2.5b Rio Tinto power bill tied to Tomago smelter supply deal
Tomago aluminium smelter in Australia’s Hunter Valley is the biggest electricity user in New South Wales and holds a long-term, low-priced power supply agreement with AGL Energy. Taxpayers are covering up to A$2.5 billion of Rio Tinto’s electricity costs. The arrangement has fuelled public debate over subsidising energy-intensive industries.