Australian govt. issues Energy White Paper

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LISMORE, Australia, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The Australian government has released its long-awaited Energy White Paper, which forecasts major shifts in the country's power generation matrix.

Analysts have focused on the Energy White Paper's forecast that natural gas will account for 44 percent of Australia's electricity supply by 2050, about triple the amount the country produced in 2010.

The Energy White Paper followed the release of the International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook report, which similarly predicted that natural gas and renewable energy sources will meet almost two-thirds of world's new energy demands over the next several decades.

The coal seam gas industry plays an important role in Australia's developing natural gas needs.

CSG industry has expressed concerns that the local Lismore Council voted to stop a small seismic hydrocarbon testing activity because it is opposed to CSG operations, The Northern Rivers Echo reported Thursday.

Metgasco Chief Executive Officer Peter Henderson commented: "If Lismore Council can oppose seismic acquisition over a conventional gas structure on the grounds that it opposes CSG, how many other things has it got wrong about the gas industry? With community concern about our current electricity supply, what is Lismore Council's long-term energy solution?"