A draft plan to transition the ACT away from natural gas to 100 per cent renewable electricity has been released by the Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability on behalf of Evoenergy.
The Minister, Shane Rattenbury said Canberrans were moving away from natural gas and cementing the ACT as a global climate leader.
“The fact is, natural gas is a polluting fossil fuel and we must eventually phase it out to reduce emissions and tackle climate change,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“Approximately 22 per cent of the ACT’s total greenhouse gas emissions come from natural gas.”
He said the Evoenergy gas network 2021 draft plan showed that natural gas consumption in the ACT had been falling since 2011 and that it would continue to do so over the next five years.
“New, efficient electric appliances can provide residents with savings compared to equivalent gas appliances,” Mr Rattenbury said.
“For example, efficient reverse-cycle air conditioning can reduce household energy bills by around $500 per year compared to gas heating,” he said.
“The Government will work with the community to ensure the transition away from gas is a ‘just transition’, through the provision of information, incentives and appropriate support.”
He said Evoenergy’s draft plan also forecast that stable gas network charges would be delivered over the plan period of 2021-26.
“There is further work to do on this transition, including with Evoenergy, and I’m looking forward to working with them, and the Canberra community, to achieve the natural gas phase transition in a responsible way,” Mr Rattenbury said.
The 65-page draft plan can be accessed at this PS News link.
