The peak body for the downstream gas industry has welcomed the announcement that a re-elected Turnbull Coalition Government will establish an investment fund in clean energy as part of its Smart Cities program.
“We welcome another step in the right direction to acknowledging the important role that all applicable clean energy technologies – not renewables alone – can play in making our cities cleaner and healthier,” Gas Energy Australia CEO John Griffiths said.
Mr Griffiths said the Federal Government’s announcement is consistent with Gas Energy Australia’s 2030 Vision and 10 Point Plan, which advocates for smart city technology and outcomes.
“Australian produced fuels can reduce carbon by up to 25 per cent compared to imported diesel and reduce other harmful toxins almost to zero,” Mr Griffiths said.
“Yet the previous prescriptive approach to cleaner energy funding often supported less efficient technologies for particular purposes. For example, ARENA would fund a solar-diesel hybrid, but not a lower emitting gas solution.”
As renewables are not yet suitable for heavy transport or off grid base-load generation applications, Mr Griffiths said including lower emitting gas fuels in Australia’s energy mix, along with renewables, would mean more effective progress can be made towards a lower carbon future.
“It isn’t us versus renewables, but ensuring that government policy is technology neutral so that we can ensure that the right technology can deliver the cleanest and best overall outcome,” he said.
