APGA urges ACT to reconsider gas connections phase-out plan
APGA has urged the ACT Government to reconsider its plans to phase out gas connections in a submission to the ACT Legislative Assembly's Inquiry into Renewable Energy Innovation in the ACT.
The plan to phase out gas connections ends the opportunity to use renewable gases such as green hydrogen and biomethane to decarbonise gas demand, the APGA submission said.
"As set out in Gas Vision 2050, APGA sees renewable gases such as hydrogen and biomethane playing a critical role in decarbonising the gas industry both in the ACT and nationally," APGA said.
APGA is the largest industry contributor to the Future Fuels CRC, which has almost 80 research projects dedicated to leveraging the value of Australia’s gas infrastructure to deliver decarbonised energy.
"Importantly, APGA would like to highlight research undertaken by Frontier Economics identifying that gas use decarbonisation through 100 per cent renewable hydrogen replacement costs less than electrifying gas demand," the submission said.
"In addition to cost, the security and flexibility of continuing to have two energy sources, electricity and gas, means there is greater value in decarbonising gas.
"By considering electricity alone as the only viable pathway to energy decarbonisation, the ACT prevents its citizens from accessing lower cost renewable energy alternatives. Instead, the narrow consideration of electricity reduces security, reliability and affordability."
