Energy economics researcher Professor John Foster has called on power-generators to rethink an industry shift from coal to gas, saying the benefits may not be as great as first thought.

Prof Foster says the industry is bounding ahead into coal seam gas projects, touted for their lower emissions of carbon dioxide, but new “findings contradict a widely-held view that renewable energy is too expensive compared to fossil fuels, and too unreliable to be a major component of Australia's future energy generation by 2035," he said, “there is no justification for the claim that a high proportion of energy sourced from renewables will drive up wholesale costs, in comparison to a power system heavily dependent on coal seam gas.”

The Professor of the Global Change Institute at The University of Queensland recommends a more rounded approach to attaining the nation’s energy goals. He believes with a combination of available renewable sources (solar, wind, geo-thermal), traditional sources such as coal and gas and more mindfulness on the part of the energy user, Australia can build a robust and resilient power market.

Currently, the Federal Government is investing heavily in establishing coal seam gas resources to deliver to prospective export markets and change domestic power generation, WA Premier Colin Barnett is asking for a national energy policy that restricts natural gas exports so supplies will remain cheap and dependable in the domestic market.