With the ongoing debate around the early closure of the Eraring coal fired generator at Lake Macquarie, Luke Grant speaks to Shaun Reardon, Jemena’s Executive General Manager for Energy Networks, for a closer at the issue of gas plants and what role gas, if any, can play in firming up supply.

Jemena yesterday made the point that Australian energy consumers could be left with an unreliable energy grid and higher bills if the energy system is fully electrified. Shaun Reardon, welcomed a focus on renewable gases into the future such as hydrogen, but cautioned that industries that rely on gas may be left stranded and gas may be unable to fulfil its key “insurance role” in the energy grid if the size and scale of Australia’s existing gas networks is reduced.

Mr Reardon says, “Gas and gas-powered-generation in particular has a crucial role to play in producing energy during periods of peak demand, or during long ‘dark and still’ periods when renewable generation is unavailable,” but “We want to avoid a situation where our gas networks are diminished.”

“Modelling informing the Victorian Gas Substitution Roadmap implies that gas networks will be effectively halved in Victoria by 2030.   We’re concerned that such an approach will undermine overall system reliability and ultimately end up costing energy consumers.”

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