THE legacy of former NSW Treasurers Michael Egan and Michael Costa to privatise the NSW electricity industry has resurfaced in the NSW Budget paper which shows Eraring Energy and its two sister power generation companies, Delta and Macquarie, seemingly earmarked for private sector operation.

The paper, which states capital expenditure by the electricity sector will grow from $3.9 billion this year to $14.5 billion over the next four years, indicates the bricks and mortar plus power generation hardware will remain in public ownership but the use of it is proposed to be leased to the private sector.

Similarly, the Transgrid distribution network (poles and wires) will remain 'owned' but the operating rights will be sold off as will the retail service companies, Energy Australia, Integral Energy and Country Energy.

Also tagged for sale are all power station development sites throughout NSW.

On the front foot and ready for a return bout of the 1997 anti-privatisation power fight is the powerful CFMEU.

The CFMEU's NSW Energy Division secretary Lorraine Usher said that while the union is alert to privatisation under the guise of leasing, the lack of detail provided by the government was frustrating.

"At the moment we really don't know what we are up against because not only is the concept dangerously vague in the documents, the Government either won't tell us or doesn't know what the detail is itself and is unable to tell us," Ms Usher said.

"We are supposed to have meetings with the Government every two weeks but often they are cancelled and little has come out of them. We are hoping to have something more concrete within the next six weeks," she said.

Member for Lake Macquarie Greg Piper has condemned any move to privatise the power industry.

"It is disturbing that the Budget paper refers to the Government's continued ownership and operation in one section but specifically excludes the operation aspect in the section proposing to sell the trading rights," Mr Piper said.

"I have written to the treasurer specifically asking whether there is any intention for private operation of existing power stations, any opportunity for private operation of existing power stations and to clarify what the relationship would be between the owner of a power station, the operator of a power station and trader of the energy produced by a power station."