Australia's Nuclear Future, page-578

Dutton’s bold pledge on nuclear power

Watch and learn here : Dutton’sbold pledge on nuclear power (msn.com)

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has for thefirst time spruiked the Coalition’s controversial nuclear energy plan in anelectorate earmarked for a new “modular reactor”, promising the ambitiousproject will be more efficient than replacing wind turbines “every 25 years”.

TheLiberal leader on Monday championed the contested energy project in MountMurchison, a town of little more than 100 people in the Shire of Banana onQueensland’s central coast, following the unveiling earlier this year of theCoalition’s nuclear energy plan.

MrDutton flagged seven sites – two in Queensland and NSW and one each in SouthAustralia, Victoria, and Western Australia – for potential new small-scalenuclear reactors under the plan that he promised to take to the next federalelection in 2025.

Dutton’s boldpledge on nuclear power© Provided by NewsWire

Despite pushback from energy experts about the proposal’s feasibility,Mr Dutton said nuclear power would be “good for jobs” and “the underpinning of24/7 reliable power into the future”, blaming Labor for warnings about futurepower shortages.

“The Coalition’s policy of renewables and gas and of nuclear (power) isabsolutely essential to keeping the lights on, to having cheaper power and tomaking sure that we can reduce our emissions,” Mr Dutton said on Mondayalongside Liberal Flynn MP Colin Boyce.

He claimed warnings by the energy regulator about brownouts were basedon Labor policies. “The PM and Chris Bowen have us on this 100 per centrenewables-only path which is what’s driving up the price of your power bill.It’s what is making our system unreliable,” Mr Dutton said.

“If we want to have cheaper power, if we want greener power, and if wewant reliable power, then nuclear is the way in which we’ll provide that 24/7power into the future … let’s have an honest discussion because Australians arereally struggling under this government.”

Mr Dutton hit out at investments by Labor in “green hydrogen” projectsthat he said were “not proven, not scalable” and claimed that nuclear reactorsdid not need to be replaced “every 25 years” like wind and would provide jobsamid the winding down of coal power.

The Liberal leader said he was “encouraged by discussions with the localcommunity” about nuclear power but remained mum of how much the ambitiousproject would cost amid doubts about the targeted start date of as early as2035.

Related video: Existing nuclear plants are the 'hottest thing inpower right now', says Radiant's Mark Nelson (CNBC)

Of the seven sites selected, five are in Coalition-held seats. In anearlier press release, Mr Dutton said the sites offered “important technicalattributes needed for net-zero emissions nuclear plants”, including watercapacity and transmissions infrastructure.

Under the plan, the Coalition proposed the government would fund theconstruction of the plants in partnership with experienced nuclear energycompanies. The government would own the sites in a similar system set-up to theSnowy Hydro and NBN networks.