Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has acknowledged the east coast needs more gas, after the energy market watchdog warned yesterday that the current eastern cold snap coinciding with low wind power generation was threatening to trigger a shortfall.
The Australian Energy Market Operator said the threat of gas supplies running short extends from NSW to Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT, and could last until September, following repeated supply warnings from producers and gas users.
AEMO has warned of gas shortages this winter. Bloomberg
“We’ll work through those issues with AEMO … [but] we need more gas supply,” Albanese said on ABC Breakfast.
He said that Labor’s future gas strategy, which was announced in March, was a recognition of the need for more supply.
“Gas has an important role to play in manufacturing in particular, but also in providing firming capacity for the renewables’ rollout,” said Mr Albanese.
But he reminded the public that it was not the first winter AEMO had warned of a gas shortage.
The prime minister would not comment on whether the Victorian government blocking further gas projects in the state – it said current producers were exporting too much overseas – was contributing to shortages.
“My responsibility is for the national government,” he said, but added “we need more supply on the east coast”.