Including gas powered generation in a capacity scheme will support an orderly transition

If Australia is to meet its emissions reduction targets, the retirement of coal power stations is one of the biggest steps we can undertake.

Unless we have reliable, long duration sources of energy to replace coal, base-load generation, governments will keep coal open for longer than necessary, which will also delay the further deployment of renewables.

In an energy system that will be increasingly dominated by renewables, giving state governments the peace of mind to allow the closure of aging coal power stations is going to be easier said than done.