Nick Xenophon's SA-BEST party will push for a not-for-profit energy retailer to provide cheaper power to lower-income households and small businesses if it wins the balance of power at South Australia's March election.
Mr Xenophon says the scheme will be available to households with an income up to $75,000 and to businesses with power bills under $20,000.
He says SA-BEST will also force the government to set a benchmark of a 20 per cent reduction in power prices across the board within the next two years.
"Energy needs to be an absolute focus and priority for the next government of South Australia. SA-BEST will guarantee that," Mr Xenophon said on Thursday.
Under the SA-BEST plan the not-for-profit retailer, to be known as the Community Electricity Trust of SA, would also enter into a tender process to develop a new 150-megawatt power station.
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The party's modelling suggests 50,000 households and 5000 businesses would be able to access cheaper power through the scheme and could expect price cuts of about 20 per cent.
It was expected to put downward pressure on prices across the electricity market by increasing competition.
