Energy Minister Chris Bowen asserts that Peter Dutton is “making it up as he goes” regarding his gas plan, questioning how the Coalition would force gas producers to sell to Australians at lower prices. According to Bowen, the Coalition is merely reviving a plan from the former Morrison government. Dutton pledged to release secret modeling soon, claiming it would demonstrate how the Coalition’s plan to increase gas supply would reduce power prices for consumers. However, Bowen argues that Dutton should provide more details and worries that the opposition’s nuclear and gas modeling might not reveal the full story. The proposal involves increasing the gas supply to Australia’s east coast from 50 to 100 petajoules to lower the average price from $14 to $10 per gigajoule by the end of the year. The Albanese government introduced a domestic price cap of $12 per gigajoule in 2023. Experts, including former ACCC chair Rod Sims, raise concerns about the feasibility of the plan, questioning how it would be enforced and its impact on the gas market. The Grattan Institute warns that such a policy could undermine the gas spot market, leading to unintended consequences. Additionally, analysis from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water suggests that the costs of the Coalition’s plan could be higher than claimed, and the nuclear plants might not produce as much electricity as predicted.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/30/bowen-says-dutton-making-it-up-as-he-goes-on-gas-plan-as-experts-question-lack-of-detail