Strategic context and background to our 2025 Plan

The energy system both here in Australia and globally is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation. We are operating in a period of significant uncertainty surrounding the future role of gas networks in the Australian energy landscape. This presents a complex challenge for us and our customers in determining how best to respond to the uncertainty created by the energy transformation in the long-term interests of our consumers.

Whilst we believe that our network can play a vital role in supporting the transition to net zero, there is still much uncertainty about both the exact pathway and pace of the energy transition.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) forecasts that residential and small commercial consumption will gradually decline in the short term, with electrification to reduce natural gas usage more significantly in the medium to longer term as the economy transitions to meet net zero emissions by 2050. We are also forecasting that consumption by our customers will reduce over the 2025-30 period, and that fewer customers will connect to our network than in the past.

This uncertainty adds complexity to our planning processes for our future operations but the need to act now is imperative – the earlier we start to address the challenges presented because of the rapid energy transition, the smoother the pathway to net-zero will be. Our 2025 Plan will ensure that we can continue to provide our customers with a safe and reliable service over the 2025 Plan period, and puts in place a number of initiatives aimed at supporting a fair and equitable energy transition for customers over the long term. Our plan is based on the best available information and provides flexibility to adjust these initiatives in the future as new information becomes available.

Regardless of how we respond to the energy transition, we must also continue to meet our regulatory obligations in the areas of safety, reliability, security, and the environment, which are key drivers of our expenditure forecasts for the 2025 – 30 period.

Customer and stakeholder feedback has informed our 2025 Plan that has now been submitted to the Australian Energy Regulator.

Got 5 minutes?

Read our snapshot PDF to learn about the key elements of the 2025 Plan.

Or if you're on screen reader, go to the accessible version here.

Got time for a longer look?

If you've got the time, it's effective to look at it in more detail. It's 150+ pages and will take you approximately one and a half hours.

It's available here and the list of attachments are available here.

Network impacts of our 2025 Plan excluding inflation