Opposition leader Peter Dutton has conceded that the Coalition’s nuclear policy relies on an extended use of coal power and a sharply increased role for gas power.
Already a subscriber?Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has conceded the Coalition’s nuclear energy plan relies on many of Australia’s ageing coal-fired power stations running for at least another 12 years, which is a timeframe most energy experts agree will not work because most will be shut down by 2035.
The Coalition has said the first nuclear reactor could come online in Australia by 2035 or 2037, depending on the type of plant, a timeline criticised as unrealistic by many. Mr Dutton insisted that international experience made it clear the per-unit cost of electricity would go down, despite significant cost blowouts at numerous nuclear power projects overseas. He said the upfront cost would be significant, but this would be amortised over the 80-year life of a power station.
A report released last week by the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis found that Australian annual household power bills would be likely to increase by $665 to cover the cost of nuclear reactors. Mr Dutton said the Coalition’s plan would avoid building swaths of new transmission infrastructure, and avoid carpeting land with solar and wind farms. He accused Labor of being dishonest about the real costs of its “renewables-only” plan for reaching net zero emissions.
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