Laughing gas

I did not realise that the gas industry were such funny people until I read about the Australian Gas Pipeline Industry’s recent contribution to the energy and climate change policy debate. 

It describes a ‘crisis’ in the gas industry caused by gas prices doubling or tripling in the next few years as prices rise to world parity once export facilities are completed. 

Almost every company would love to see the prices they are paid for their products triple, but not the gas industry – this is somehow a catastrophe for them. The proposed solution to this 'crisis' of rapidly rising revenues is to ask the government to mandate further incentives for the gas industry – on top of their windfall gains.   

I agree that residential and business customers are facing a ‘crisis’ of how to afford these skyrocketing gas prices, but only a comedian would suggest that gas suppliers are the ones in need of financial assistance.

Jonathan Upson is a project development and government affairs manager at Infigen Energy.