When people mention nuclear power for Australia, all you have to ask them is a few questions.
I have done this on may occasions on hc. Probably more than 20 times now.
So far, no one has answered those questions. Not one.
1. How long would it take to develop a nuclear industry to support nuclear power in Australia. In a similar way to how France, The US, China, Russia etc have done ? 2. How much will that cost ? 3. How long will it take to build one nuclear power station in Australia ? 4. How much will it cost ? 5. How will its business case work ( LCOE ) in a widely distributed, renewable energy grid ? 6. What will we do for power while we are waiting ? 7. How long will it take to change the legislation to allow any of this to occur ? 8. Which council will allow a nuclear power station to be built in their neighbourhood ? 9. What will the do with the waste ?
Etc.
In the meantime, renewables are growing at a rapid rate. Domestic solar alone is growing at a power station size per year now. Commercial renewables are outpacing the networks they are growing that fast. Renewables are adding capacity to the grid every single day. Every day. No waiting 25 years for a nuke to be built that will be a commercial failure anyway. Renewable technology is getting better everyday. It is creating jobs all over the country. It is creating a recycling industry that will absorb recycling from other industries that currently dump their products in landfill. E.g. the composite industry. Renewable energy is flexible and will enable shoulders and peaks to be removed thus flattening the cost of electricity. That will allow businesses to flourish that were otherwise constrained.
South Australia last year was powered by renewable energy for 65% of the total. All achieved with no commercial grid storage at all. In that year they managed to power things like the Olympic Dam mine. They even powered the Portland aluminium smelter for a few weeks due to a grid connection failure from Victoria.
Renewables are now a no brainer for Australia and the rest of the world. The proof is being constructed daily around the country.
