Origin Energy Stategic Positioning, page-128

Gas vs Coal

A slump in the use of gas for power generation in the National Electricity Market last year should not be taken as a sign of permanent decline, with usage likely to increase as coal power plants close down, consultancy EnergyQuest says.“Gas may be down but it is not out,” the Adelaide-based research firm said in a quarterly report on Tuesday, pointing to experience in overseas markets where a high share of renewables and a low share of coal in the energy mix is typically accompanied by greater use of gas.
Coal power generation hit a modern record low last year of 133.9 terawatt-hours, but still remained the dominant fuel in the NEM with a 67 per cent market share, EnergyQuest noted.
While coal’s share is less important than the 80 per cent of a decade ago, only four countries in the world are more reliant than Australia on coal-fired generation: South Africa, Poland, India and Kazakhstan.
EnergyQuest points to Europe, where four countries had a share of variable renewables of more than 20 per cent in 2019, each of which have a much lower share of coal than the NEM and a much higher share of gas, ranging up to 40.9 per cent in the UK. Gas power generation also increased in South Australia after the closure of that state’s last coal power station in May 2016, while gas power generation rose in Victoria after the closure of the Hazelwood brown coal generator in March 2017
Gas power ‘down but not out’ (copyright link)

Go ORG go gas.