Melbourne, Australia: An commitment by Australian energy ministers to a National Transition Plan to move the country to a zero emissions economy is a watershed moment, the Australian Hydrogen Council (AHC) says.
The commitment came in an emergency meeting convened yesterday by Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen toaddress the issue of soaring power prices.
AHC CEO, Dr Fiona Simon, said it was heartening to see all Ministers focussed not only on short-term issues like pricing but also the bigger picture.
“Failing to plan is planning to fail,” Dr Simon said.
“All states and territories have already committed to reducing emissions in their power grids and hitting net zero by 2050 – it’s how we get there that’s unclear.
“We need to carefully co-ordinate work across both the gas and electricity sectors to manage the energy transition and support energy affordability for consumers.”
The AHC called for a new body to develop an evidence-based approach to planning and coordinating the transition to net zero in a white paper in September last year.
“We said then that co-locating hydrogen producers, users and exporters in hubs isn’t enough,” Dr Simon.
“We need to carefully co-ordinate work across both the gas and electricity sectors to support energy affordability for consumers.”
About Australian Hydrogen Council
The Australian Hydrogen Council is the peak representative body for the Australian hydrogen industry.
Click here to download the media release PDF.
