Australian Chart of the week | Electric feel: can Victoria stay warm without natural gas?

The Victorian Government is currently consulting with community and industry on the Gas Substitution Roadmap, just one piece of a broader effort to meet emissions targets. It outlines several options for reducing emissions from natural gas, including gradual substitution with biomethane, hydrogen, or electricity. In this ‘Chart of the week’, we consider the implications for Victoria’s electricity system if we electrify a large portion of natural gas demand.

Electricity cannot replace all uses of natural gas. But it is a leading candidate in the domain of low-temperature heat, where electric heat pumps and induction cooktops can replace gas in domestic use. It is reasonable to assume that all gas in homes and small businesses (Tariff V or TV gas in industry parlance) is used for low-temperature heat, i.e. used for space heating, hot water and cooking.

Shaz Billimoria

Shaz Billimoria

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