Industry groups and environmentalists fear importing natural gas from Australia is now a step closer, and could cause the Kiwi economy to miss out and the climate to take an extra hit. The Gas Industry Company (GIC) has this week requested proposals for a study into the practicalities of importing natural gas to fill gaps in the energy system, as part of a wider study into gas market settings requested by the Minister of Energy and Resources Megan Woods. GIC is New Zealand’s official gas industry body, and works with the government to co-regulate the industry. “If we’re going to keep using natural gas until at least 2050 as the Climate Change Commission acknowledges, surely it’s better to produce it locally.”But a spokesman for GIC said the implication they are about to start facilitating the import of natural gas is not correct. GIC will provide its Gas Market Settings Investigation to Woods midway through 2021.

Source: Stuff March 03, 2021 21:33 UTC