“Electrification will play an increasingly important role in addressing climate change for both households and industry as we transform our energy system,” King said on Thursday. “But the fact remains that gas will continue to play a crucial role in electricity generation and industry for years to come – particularly in heavy industry and hard-to-abate sectors.”
The Labor Environment Action Network was co-founded by Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Jenny McAllister.
Its co-convener,Felicity Wade,said new gas was “just a really bad idea” and called for government-funded programs to help households switch from gas heating.
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The network’s analysis of government statistics found household appliances across Australia used 166 petajoules of gas a year.
Swapping gas-fired household heating to electric could save 90 petajoules of gas consumption a year,and hot-water heating another 65 petajoules,LEAN said.
Wade said this was more than double the 70 petajoules of gas forecast to be produced annually by Santos’ controversial Narrabri field in NSW.