Chris Bowen declares gas will be important 'life insurance' for renewables up to 2050
The energy minister has pitched the next election as a choice between “reliable renewables or risky reactors — but not both”.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen says gas will continue to be an “important” part of power generation up to 2050 by acting as a “life insurance” for renewables in the electricity grid and declined to rule out its role beyond then.
In a speech at the National Press Club in Canberra, Bowen declared the next election is a make-or-break moment for renewables, claiming the Coalition’s plan to build taxpayer-funded nuclear-powered plants will result in an "investment chill" for clean energy.
At least six Labor MPs have spoken out against the government’s Future Gas Strategy released in May by Resources Minister Madeleine King, with some calling for a faster phaseout of gas.
Asked if gas had a critical role as a firming technology beyond 2050, Bowen referred to the Australian Energy Market Operator’s projections that the energy grid will need 15 gigawatts more gas by 2050.
