“If we end up with a clean energy policy that includes zero-emissions nuclear energy,a cheap NIMBY[not-in-my-backyard] campaign will inevitably come and we’ll deal with those sort of childish debates then,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien saidsmall modular reactors would be key to a nuclear energy policy. The developing technology is a fraction of the size of a traditional nuclear plant,and would potentially generate about one-third of the power – spurring estimates Australia would need about 80 of them to run the east coast energy grid.
CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator’s GenCost report into the cost of electricity generation based on technology type found that an energy grid running on 90 per cent renewables,including transmission lines and back-up battery or gas power,would cost between $70 to $100 a megawatt hour in 2030.
Small modular reactors would cost between $200 and $350 a megawatt hour,were that technology available by 2030.
Former chief scientist of Australia Alan Finkel,writing in theFinancial Reviewthis week,said it was unlikely small modular reactors could be deployed before 2040 in Australia,which meant “we must continue our investment in renewables”.
Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has rejected the deployment of nuclear power and on Wednesday reiterated the Albanese government’s goal to cut power bills bysupplying 82 per cent of electricity through renewable energy by 2030.
Loading
“We look forward to the costings and the locations of the nuclear power stations when[O’Brien] releases them. I’ve been a bit confused about why a party claiming to be economically rational would propose the most expensive form of energy as a way to reduce prices,” Bowen told parliament.
On Wednesday,Bowen announced energy rule changes to force companies building transmission lines to engage in earlier and more frequent “genuine” community consultation. The move is designed to reduce community opposition,which is now the main obstacle to the government’s goal to decarbonise the electricity grid.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has backed the coal-to-nuclear plan and Canning MP Andrew Hastie said small modular reactors should be considered as replacement for coal plants given “we already have four to five small modular reactors on order” to power Australia’snext generation of nuclear submarines.
When asked if he backed nuclear in his northern NSW electorate,Joyce said:“Not only would I be happy to have a small modular reactor in New England,but I suggested the policy to accompany it.”
Joyce said he would “much prefer that than trashing our land and environment with tens of thousands of acres of transmission lines,wind factories and solar factories”.
Nationals MP Llew O’Brien,who represents Wide Bay in Queensland,said “any future nuclear energy plan would need to be judged on its merits”,but that he supported a discussion about the potential for his electorate.
Darren Chester and Colin Boyce – Nationals MPs with coal plants in their respective electorates – were contacted for comment,as were Labor MPs Dan Repacholi and Pat Conroy.
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie,Liberal senator James Paterson and Liberal MPs Warren Entsch,Tony Pasin,and Rowan Ramsey,who all said in 2017 that nuclear power should be part of the energy debate,were also contacted for comment.
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news,views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weeklyInside Politics newsletter here.