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New Report: No Gas Shortage in Australia, Renewables Cheaper Than Gas

A report by Melbourne University’s Climate and Energy College released today, debunks the myth of a gas shortage and shows the federal government’s push for more fracking across Australia is senseless, says Lock the Gate Alliance.

“This report confirms that there is no current or predicted gas supply shortage in Australia and so no basis for the push by the Federal Government and the gas industry to expand unconventional gasfields against the wishes of local communities,” Lock the Gate’s Phil Laird said.

“Escalating domestic gas prices have been caused not by a shortage in supply, but by gas exporters distorting our market and gouging domestic consumers,” Mr Laird said.

The report, titled ‘A Short-lived Gas Shortfall’, which was commissioned by Lock the Gate and The Wilderness Society, finds that:

- The 2018 shortfall predicted in gas supply by the Australian Energy Market Operator on 9th March 2017 to much fanfare effectively ‘vanished’ just 11 days later due to an updated forecast.

- Increased gas prices are not a result of a shortage but due to gas companies exporting much of their gas.

- Wind and solar PV are cheaper forms of bulk energy than combined cycle gas turbines, and in some cases, the cost even of new-build renewable energy and storage is cheaper than generating electricity at existing gas power stations.

- Storage technologies are competitive with open cycle gas turbines in providing flexible capacity.

“The report finds the falling costs of renewable energy and storage technologies, and the increasing gas costs, means that gas will not be a transition fuel in Australia. It’s now a bridge to nowhere.

“This report strengthens the resolve of farmers, Traditional Owners and communities across Australia to protect their water supplies and existing industries from unconventional gas.

“The NSW Government should take note and drop its ill-considered support for the Narrabri Gas Project which is not needed and will only deliver even more expensive gas,” Mr Laird said.

Full report:
http://www.lockthegate.org.au/shortlived_shortfall

 

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  • Robert Johnson
    commented 2020-05-22 18:24:53 +1000
    No amount of facts affect Angus Taylor.
    He has his vested political and financial backers interests on a faith train.
    LNP policy is to lie, lie, lie until facts die!
    Like the bullies they are, they know it works because they steamroll this arrogance of power out so often.
    Disregard the national interest, foreign fee paying Gas Corporations come first because they have been sold so many mining licenses that are now stranded assets they need government taxpayer handouts to make them profitable.
    They will not fund their own way.
    We are the largest gas exporter in the world, there is no gas shortage.
    Santos and Chevron pay next to no tax on their Multi Billion dollar Gas businesses.
    Go figure.
  • Dylan Smith
    commented 2017-10-17 22:24:28 +1100
    Solar energy, wind energy, and energy from garbage. I’ve heard somewhere about a machine which can produce electricity from garbage.
    https://www.yooying.org/
  • May Briggs
    commented 2017-05-21 17:10:11 +1000
    Wind and solar are the answer to solving climate change.