At a hearing of the House of Representatives Select Committee on Nuclear Energy, the panel’s experts have warned Australia’s nuclear plan is dangerous.

They described the plan as “anti-science” and said the country’s only chance of reaching net-zero

emissions by 2050 requires moving away from nuclear power.

Criticism of the plan

The Smart Energy Council, which has estimated the cost of the coalition’s plan at around $600 billion, has also said the push for

nuclear power is driven by an ideology hostile to renewables. Chief executive John Grimes suggested Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was using “masculine” language in framing the debate, which was damaging to efforts to shift to renewables.

Scientific confirmations

Grimes added: “The only problem is that an electron is an electron in physics. There is no difference at all.” He stressed

Nuclear power may be the pinnacle of human engineering, but it is not the right solution for Australia, pointing to its vast solar and wind resources.

Differing views

On the other hand, physicist Sarah Lawley argued that renewable energy is not capable of meeting the needs of

the system. She said Australia faces a choice between using fossil fuel generators or nuclear power plants to support reliability.

The need for reliability

Lawley pointed to the importance of reliability in energy provision, stressing that all energy options must be in line

with consumption. She stressed that nuclear power would be a good investment and would help Australia achieve its decarbonization goals.

Australian Energy Regulator’s view

Last week, Claire Savage, chair of the Australian Energy Regulator, stressed that nuclear power could play a

positive role in meeting energy needs, but that it would take a long time to develop the necessary regulatory framework.

Concerns over construction time

Savage’s comments also raised doubts about the timing of the coalition’s plans to build nuclear reactors, as the construction process could take

more than 10 years. This contrasts with the Alliance’s promise to have the first two reactors operational by 2035.

Australia’s energy future

Most experts agree that Australia’s coal-fired power plant fleet only has a decade

before it becomes unusable. As Dutton seeks to convince local governments of the Alliance’s nuclear plan,

the debate over Australia’s energy future continues.

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