Enabling Australia’s Reliable and Affordable Energy Future
Australia's energy system must nearly triple capacity by 2050 to replace ageing coal and support electrification across transport, industry, and homes, per AEMO’s 2024 ISP.
This transition is not merely about integrating renewable energy sources...
It requires a full-scale overhaul of how we generate, store, and distribute electricity. As coal-fired generators retire, the system must adapt to a new paradigm where renewable energy, firmed by storage solutions, ensures reliability and affordability.
(Source: Verbrec Exec Team Meeting, Feb 2025)
Electricity consumption from the grid is forecast to rise from 174 TWh in 2020 to 275 TWh by 2050, driven largely by electrification across all sectors, both behind the meter (BTM) and in front of the meter (FTM).
(Source: AEMO, 2024 ISP, p. 25)
As homes electrify, vehicles plug in, and industries shift from fuel combustion, demand for firm energy grows. AEMO forecasts 22 GW of storage by 2050, with rapid growth in grid-scale batteries over the next five years.
(Source: AEMO, 2024 ISP, p. 25)
However, with this increasing reliance on flexible gas generation, Australia’s energy infrastructure must evolve. The question remains:
Is the existing infrastructure prepared for an increase in demand to 14GW* in flexible gas as mid-merit gas retires?
*AEMO 2024 Integrated System Plan Overview
Hear from executives as they share how Verbrec enables sustainable markets and the energy transition.
The BIG Picture
Why Electrification and Energy Storage Matters
Electrification is more than a carbon-reduction lever. It is central to achieving economic, energy, and environmental goals.
Its wide-reaching benefits include:
- Cost savings from more efficient energy use
- Reduced exposure to global fuel price volatility
- Improved resilience through localised energy production and storage
- Support for net-zero targets by enabling renewable uptake
These benefits are underpinned by strategic investments in Renewable Energy Zones (REZs), modernised transmission networks and advanced technologies such as utility-scale batteries and pumped hydro.
(Sources: AEMO, 2024 ISP, pp. 22–26; Energy Storage & Electrification Content Gathering Meeting, Feb 2025; Future Gas Strategy Analytical Report
Key Challenges
The transition to electrification and energy storage includes three core challenges:
CHALLENGE #1
Infrastructure
& Investment
Upgrading infrastructure to handle increased electricity demand, reliability issues, and significant investment requirements for expanding transmission and distribution networks.
(Source: 2024 Electricity and Gas Networks Performance Report, AER)
CHALLENGE #2
Market
& Pricing Dynamics
Navigating regulatory complexities, developing smarter, market-responsive tariff structures, and managing energy pricing when renewable sources cannot consistently meet demand.
(Sources: Consultation Paper – Stage 2 of the Reliability and Supply Adequacy Framework, AEMO; Energy Storage & Electrification Content Gathering Meeting, Feb 2025).
CHALLENGE #3
Technology
& Sustainability
Managing renewable intermittency, asset lifespan concerns, recycling challenges, and the reliance on electric vehicle uptake and household battery storage for grid stability.
(Sources: 2026 ISP Timetable, AEMO; Energy Storage & Electrification Content Gathering Meeting, Feb 2025).
Verbrec Insights
Our Thinking
Gas as a ‘Battery’: An Evolving Role in Energy Systems
FAQs
Perspectives from Industry Experts
1. What is electrification?
Electrification is replacing fossil-fuel-driven technologies with electric-powered alternatives, a shift supported by industry reports highlighting Australia’s accelerating adoption of electric technologies in transportation, mining, manufacturing, and household sectors to significantly cut emissions and improve energy efficiency.
(Source: Future Gas Strategy Analytical Report) [225:19†future.pdf]
2. What types of energy storage are available?
Battery storage, pumped hydro storage, thermal storage, hydrogen storage, and flow batteries are common storage solutions.
(Source: Future Gas Strategy Analytical Report) [205:11†future-gas-strategy-analytical-report.pdf]
3. How does electrification help reduce emissions?
By transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable electricity, electrification significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, as supported by projections showing substantial emissions reductions due to increased electrification across multiple sectors including residential, commercial, and industrial applications.
(Sources: Future Gas Strategy Analytical Report [225:19†future.pdf], Verbrec Exec Team Meeting, Feb 2025)
Our Experience
Featured Case Studies
With deep expertise in energy, infrastructure, and industrial sectors, Verbrec supports clients in delivering scalable, future-ready electrification and storage projects.
Ready to lead the energy transition?
At Verbrec, we deliver end-to-end services across the full asset lifecycle; from feasibility studies and engineering design to system integration, commissioning, and ongoing operations. We also offer industry training and competency assurance to support a seamless and successful transition to electrification and energy storage.