Gas dilemma: why govt didn't set a phase-out deadline

Energy minister Megan Woods said getting rid of gas would be good for emissions, but warned the costs remain high. (Image: Getty)

Ian Llewellyn

Mon, 20 Jun 2022

The government baulked at setting a deadline for phasing out natural gas as it became clear it was essential for energy security and billions of dollars in costs would fall on households, businesses and the taxpayer, cabinet papers show.The Emissions Reductions Plan announced in May included a Gas Transition Plan. It stopped short of naming dates for the end of gas use in any form, unlike measures proposed for coal. The gas plan also did not take up a Climate Change Commission (CCC) suggestion to set a date to ban new connections to the ga...

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