Leading energy researchers and industry experts joined the Australian Energy Market Commission’s fourth Connecting Policy and Research Forum this week to explore the increasingly interrelated nature of Australia’s electricity and gas sectors.
Participants considered how complex and interwoven Australia's gas and electricity sectors are becoming. Gas will be increasingly important in the electricity sector to support renewables, but is also exiting the system elsewhere as customers electrify. In sections like electricity, where gas continues to be needed, low emissions alternatives are being explored, and these in turn often require electricity to be produced.
A diverse group of academics and industry leaders delved into the nuances of these interconnections, as well as the trade-offs and opportunities they present:
- Dylan McConnell (University of NSW) looked at the changing role of gas-powered generation (GPG) in the electricity sector with Great expectations - How do we align electricity sector needs with gas commercial realities?
- Alison Reeve (Grattan Institute) looked at the institutions involved in energy sector governance and spoke about Rules, roles, and roadblocks: Institutions and the energy transition.
- Frank Jotzo (Australian National University) addressed the emissions implications and trade-offs using gas in Gas: Blowing the carbon budget or enabling the renewables transition?
- Louisa Kinnear (Australian Energy Council) worked through some of the challenges for investing in new generation in Investing in the ‘messy middle’ - Exploring the role and impacts of gas in a high renewables energy system.
AEMC Chair Anna Collyer said the Research@AEMC initiative, launched in 2023, emphasised the importance of collaboration and the forging of meaningful connections between the AEMC and academics engaged in topics critical to the AEMC’s policy work.
"A collaborative approach not only keeps us informed of cutting-edge research and innovative ideas, but also enables us to shape the research agenda by sharing practical, real-world problems with the academic community," Ms Collyer said.
The AEMC thanks all speakers and participants at this invitation-only event, which provides such value to our work.
AEMC Commissioner Lana Stockman was among the speakers at another research event this week - the State of Energy Research Conference, hosted by the Energy Research Institutes Council for Australia (ERICA) at the University of NSW.
She urged researchers to continue to take up opportunities to partner with the AEMC as we work to resolve Australia’s unique energy transition challenges. Read her speech here.
Media: 0459 918 964 or media@aemc.gov.au