Dispelling the notion that reducing emissions comes at the expense of Australian households and businesses, a new report has shown that all the major opportunities to improve energy affordability in electricity and gas also either support – or are independent to – the nation’s net zero ambitions.
Entitled Improving Energy Affordability Aligns with Net Zero, the briefing note from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) highlights the most effective measures to lower electricity and gas costs, both across the supply chain and by Australian energy users.
Amandine Denis-Ryan, CEO of IEEFA Australia and the report’s lead author, said, “The narrative that Australia must choose between lowering bills and cutting emissions is simply false. Our analysis shows that the cheapest energy future is also a clean one. By focusing on renewables, efficiency, electrification, and fairer energy markets, Australia can lower household energy bills while accelerating progress toward net zero.”
“Renewables are not driving up electricity costs—aging coal plants, high gas prices, and inefficient markets are. There is a lot of room for improvement when it comes to energy affordability—but it is not about choosing a different electricity generation mix. It is about fixing inefficient energy markets and regulation, increasing competition, and acting on the demand side.”
