Nuclear power would come online too late to work as a viable replacement for Australia’s ageing fleet of coal-fired power plants due to exit the National Electricity Market by 2035. That was the consensus among energy experts, regulators and operators on day one of The Australian Financial Review’s Energy & Climate Summit.

That threw cold water on Peter Dutton’s plan to build seven nationalised nuclear reactors to generate zero-emissions electricity and help Australia reach the net zero climate target by 2050. It’s never a good sign when the proponent of an idea can’t rely on any private sector support.