Australia’s East Coast market running out of time

Looming supply shortfalls will force some difficult political decisions

Time is running out for Australia’s East Coast gas market, with projected supply shortages edging inexorably closer and the number of viable solutions dwindling. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued a fresh warning in early July over the situation, noting that supply shortages could emerge sooner than expected in 2027. The ACCC’s alert came three months after the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) published its annual Gas Statement of Opportunities (GSOO) in March, declaring that gas supply shortfalls would likely appear in 2028. While the market operator expected demand to fall, it said, “gas production is forecast to fall faster” and described new supply i