This week's power price scare has triggered an overdue debate on the sheer scale of the grid rebuild task

Alinta Energy CEO Jeff Dimery says power prices will rise by 35 per cent.

I was going open this column by looking straight at the camera and saying, loudly: "Told ya so!'

Modesty, however, forbids me from being so gauche, so I will instead say, simply, that this week's national debate over energy prices - triggered by a summit organised by the the Nine group's Australian Financial Review - has been a long time coming.