POWERING CANBERRA – Our Pathway To Electrification, August 2022

POWERING CANBERRA – Our Pathway ToElectrification

The ACT is proud to be a world leader in climate action and we are now taking the next step forward to
get us closer to net zero emissions by committing to an electrification pathway and transition away from
fossil fuel gas by 2045.
Our Government values the things Canberrans care about and this includes taking real action on climate
change and supporting our most vulnerable. We are committed to managing the transition to a net
zero emissions energy future in a responsible and considered manner, and recognise that this is a long-
term transition.
We should be proud that we are leading the nation on climate action. As we have seen across Australia
in recent times, our community wants and expects Government at all levels to take real action. But,
we know that there is still a great deal of work to be done here in the Territory and our decision to
pursue an electrification pathway supports the decisive and leading climate action role our community
has asked of us.
We’re doing this because an all-electric Canberra will allow us to power our Territory, our homes, our
businesses and our transport in a cleaner and cheaper way. Transitioning to an electric energy supply is
going to help many in the ACT to save money in the coming years.
We want to enable the majority of ACT energy consumers to save money by transitioning at a time that
is right for them by providing early, long-term certainty around our zero emissions energy pathway.
Ensuring energy is affordable and people can make the best energy choices remains a key goal of
this Government.
We’re responding to climate change as an economic opportunity to attract innovative new enterprises
and high-value jobs and we will work collaboratively with Canberra’s businesses on this long-term
transition away from fossil-fuel gas.
The ACT Government’s pathway to electrification is another step forward in Canberra’s journey to be
Australia’s first net zero jurisdiction in 2045.

Foreword

One of the greatest challenges faced by governments across the world is managing the risks created
by the effects of climate change and learning to build smart, climate resilient cities.
The ACT Government continues to lead the world in cutting emissions. In 2020, we achieved our target of
100% renewable electricity supply, making a significant cut in our greenhouse gas emissions. Now we are
working on our two remaining highest sources of emissions; transport and fossil fuel gas use.
This position paper focuses on our work to transition the Territory away from gas use, to help reach our
target of net zero emissions by 2045. It outlines the reasons for the transition, the analysis we have done
so far and the considerations for community and business as we make this transition. Importantly, it sets
out the next steps we will take in close consultation with industry, business, and the community.
This is a long-term transition and we are not turning off the gas network overnight. We have time to
consider the challenges and opportunities carefully and develop solutions where required to ensure it is a
just transition. Over the coming years, we want to better understand the specific barriers that consumers
may face in transitioning to full electrification by 2045 in the places that you live and you work.
It is also a transition that will rely on the combined efforts of the entire ACT community over the coming
decades. We are fortunate in the Territory to have such an engaged, informed and sustainability-
conscious community.
I encourage all Canberrans to take time to consider what the shift away from fossil gas will mean for their
homes and businesses and develop a transition plan that will work for them. I look forward to working
together to make Canberra a world-leading net zero emissions city.