<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/australia-reached-peak-gas-years-ago-but-it-needs-a-ban-on-new-home-connections-and-plans-for-a-faster-exit/>
"Australia must start preparing for life after gas or risk bill hikes, missed
climate targets and manufacturers shutting up shop, warns a prominent think
tank.
Bans on new household gas connections, reworked green hydrogen incentives and a
windfall profit tax on the export industry feature in the Grattan Institute’s
extensive report on Australia’s deteriorating relationship with the fuel.
The think tank says demand for both domestic and exported liquefied natural gas
(LNG) product is projected to decline.
It argues an even faster drop off will be needed than implied by the federal
government’s gas strategy projections to meet Australia’s international climate
commitments, including net zero by 2050.
Burning gas to cook food, manufacture goods and generate electricity releases
greenhouse gas emissions but so does getting it out of the ground and
processing it, together amounting to roughly 20 per cent of Australia’s carbon
pollution.
Australia’s
Future Gas Strategy implies net zero can be reached while gas
production and use stay elevated beyond 2050.
Such a scenario would rely on far more renewable gases, widespread use of
carbon capture and storage, and large volumes of carbon removals, solutions
that “are unlikely to be available in the volumes required at prices people are
willing to pay”.
Households are already turning away from gas, with demand peaking in 2020 and
declining 16 per cent since.
Bans on new gas connections and incentives for landlords to swap in electric
appliances are recommended to keep electrification going, as well as careful
management of the network “death spiral”.
Recognising electrification leaves behind a shrinking pool of customers
covering the cost of the pipes moving gas around, the case is made for clamping
down on new spending and splitting the costs of decommissioning the network
fairly.
Governments nervous of strong gas phase-out signals are warned consumers that
do not have are realistic opportunities to electrify will be left paying more
for the benefit of a few diehards.
Consumers who really want to use gas should be nudged towards using Liquid
Petroleum Gas (LPG), as used in some regional and rural areas already.
“This would mean they take full responsibility for their choice, by handling
their own supply instead of relying on a network where their choice is
cross-subsidised by those who can least afford it,” the report said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
