Voters split on nuclear but most see renewables as way forward

Australians have split on nuclear power after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton triggered a pivotal clash on energy and climate: 41 per cent of voters back the shift to atomic energy and 37 per cent have rejected the idea.

The exclusive findings raise the stakes for Labor and the Coalition in an election fight over household power prices and the cheapest forms of energy, as parliament resumes on Monday with Labor seeking to demolish the Coalition’s plan for seven nuclear power plants.

Many people are willing to consider nuclear power even if they are not sure about it yet, highlighting the large numbers of voters who could be convinced to back either side.

But renewable projects have far stronger support: 73 per cent are in favour, amid warnings that investment in wind and solar may weaken after Dutton promised to set up seven nuclear plants if he wins the next election.

The findings in the Resolve Political Monitor, conducted for this masthead by research company Resolve Strategic, show that 60 per cent of Coalition voters are in favour of nuclear while only 30 per cent of Labor voters and 28 per cent of Greens supporters agree.

On a broader question to test if voters could be persuaded to back nuclear, the survey finds that 30 per cent say they do not have a strong view and are open to the government investigating the option. Combined with 32 per cent who support nuclear on the same question, this suggests 62 per cent favour or are open to atomic energy.

Labor sought to turn the tables on the Coalition on Sunday by seizing on claims it would cost $600 billion to build the seven nuclear plants, days after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it “economic madness” to develop nuclear projects when wind and solar delivered cheaper energy.

Coalition energy spokesman Ted O’Brien said the seven plants would house multiple reactors on each site – a key new fact about the policy – and confirmed that local communities would be consulted on the projects but that they would not have the right to veto them.

“In terms of exactly how many [reactors] on any plant, we’ll be leaving that to the [proposed] independent nuclear energy co-ordinating authority, but it is right that we would be wanting multi-unit sites – that’s how you get costs down,” O’Brien told the ABC’s Insiders program.

O’Brien hedged, however, on the amount of nuclear energy he expected to see as a percentage of the overall electricity grid, a key issue for investors when they consider new renewable projects.

Some 41 per cent of voters supported the use of nuclear power in Australia, a new poll shows.Credit: Marija Ercegovac

“In terms of the broader energy mix, we will be coming out with that in due course,” he said.

The Coalition is preparing to unveil policies for gas-fired power stations and household renewable programs to accompany its nuclear commitment, saying this will allow it to tell voters how much would come from nuclear.

“We will be announcing that at the time that we announce our broader mix,” O’Brien said.

The Resolve Political Monitor found that 43 per cent of voters support the Labor approach to energy, using renewables as well as gas-fired power, while 33 per cent prefer the Coalition proposal for nuclear energy and the remainder are undecided.

“This tells us that while many voters do not reject nuclear out of hand, they can favour an energy pathway that does not include it,” said Resolve director Jim Reed.

Voters strongly prefer renewables to all other forms of energy: 73 per cent are in favour of renewables in general. This climbed to 84 per cent for rooftop solar, the most popular option.

Support was lower for large-scale wind farms on land, at 53 per cent, and wind turbines offshore, at 51 per cent. Only 37 per cent favoured nuclear power when the option was listed alongside renewables and fossil fuels, while only 33 per cent supported coal power.

The survey found 53 per cent of voters backed gas-fired electricity, a key issue when Labor and the Coalition both say this will be needed during times of limited supply from wind and solar. The Greens want a ban on new coal and gas projects as well as a phase-out of existing projects.

Asked to give their reasons for opposing nuclear, voters named safety and the disposal of radioactive waste as key issues, as well as the time required to build the plants.

“It only takes one accident and you’ve got a country contaminated forever,” one respondent said in the online survey.

Asked about the reasons to support nuclear, some respondents said the power plants were safe and economical.

“You need another energy source that supplies baseload power – wind and solar don’t do that,” said one respondent. Another said: “It’s better than burning coal or gas. I can’t believe the greenies are against it.”

In a plan released on Wednesday, the Coalition said it would set up a Nuclear Energy Co-ordinating Authority to select the nuclear companies to build the seven power plants, while also forming Affordable Energy Australia to use a combination of debt and equity to finance the construction.

Dutton and O’Brien have not disclosed any costs for their plan or anything to support their claims the mammoth investment would reduce household energy bills. The Clean Energy Council, which advocates for renewable projects, said the Coalition plan would cost $600 billion, while Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek cited CSIRO analysis to say it would cost $387 billion.

Nationals leader David Littleproud did not reject the $387 billion estimate when it was put to him on Sky News on Sunday morning, saying instead the cost would be a “fraction” of the government’s outlay on energy programs.

The Resolve Political Monitor surveyed 1003 eligible voters from Thursday to Sunday, generating results with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

The questions were put to respondents soon after Dutton and his senior colleagues announced seven sites for nuclear power plants and said a Coalition government would fund and own the projects.

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