Washington | A group of US Congressmen is urging Australian policymakers to ditch their opposition to nuclear energy, in a change they say would strengthen the security alliance between the countries (reports The Australian Financial Review).
While the Albanese government and powerful Australian unions have dismissed the use of nuclear reactors to help reduce emissions, several congressmen on the US House Energy and Commerce Committee told The Australian Financial Review on the sidelines of a Congressional hearing into nuclear energy on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) there should be a rethink.
Congressman Neal Dunn, who will travel to Australia next month, said he would look to encourage Australian policymakers to consider using nuclear energy, especially given the country’s abundance of resources.
“We are going to encourage Australians while we are there. We talk about, ‘why isn’t Australia with us on this?’. There are a lot of commercial opportunities,” Congressman Dunn said.
“You have got the [uranium] ore, you have got the skills, all you lack is the will. Once you get it up and running, it’s the cheapest, most reliable, cleanest energy. There is nothing greener.”
Congressman Bill Johnson said he wished Australia was more open to what the US was doing with nuclear energy.
“I would encourage Australia to look at the United States and invest and partner with the United States to advance their commercial nuclear energy,” he said.
The US Department of Energy estimates that the US could triple the amount of nuclear power used by 2050 and be a world leader in nuclear energy technology with the use of small modular reactors.
Canada is also expanding its nuclear-generation capacity. Ontario province has announced plans to build three small modular reactors (SMRs) to help meet rising electricity demand. Nuclear power already accounts for about half of Ontario’s electricity supply.
Britain this week announced a funding package to support nuclear power generated by small modular reactors in a bid to boost energy security while lowering the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels.
The government of Rishi Sunak will provide grants totaling £157 million ($300 million) for companies to accelerate their nuclear business in Britain, and to develop new reactors, it said on Tuesday. The bid is part of the “Great British Nuclear” initiative aimed at boosting the country’s industry. Britain is aiming to provide up to a quarter of its electricity from domestic nuclear energy by 2050.
Britain and the rest of Europe are seeking to rebuild their energy infrastructure and cut reliance on natural gas following the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
