[3] Initial bidding was won by a consortium of State Grid Corporation of China and Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings.

On 11 August 2016 the Federal Government intervened to block the proposal, citing national security concerns regarding foreign ownership of critical infrastructure.

[3][4] In September 2016 the New South Wales Government instead accepted a bid from an Australian-based consortium of AustralianSuper and IFM Investors, for a sum of $16 billion.

Affected residents groups from the suburbs of Leichhardt,[6] Penshurst[7][8] and East Lindfield[9][10] protested against proposed electricity infrastructure[11] being installed in front of their residential homes without proper consultation or response to complaints by the community.

[12] Accusations were also made of Ausgrid "gold plating" its business at the expense of consumers to increase the price in privatisation.