Coalition pledges detailed nuclear power study

Opposition energy spokesman Ted O’Brien said a Dutton government would also have a detailed process of community consultation about the proposed projects.

A Dutton government would undergo a detailed study of the technical specifications needed for its proposed nuclear power plants, the Opposition energy and climate change spokesman, Ted O’Brien said.

Speaking after the Opposition announced its policy on nuclear on Wednesday, Mr O’Brien said a Dutton government would also have a detailed process of community consultation about the proposed projects after it was elected.

He told The Australian’s Energy Nation Forum in Sydney that the Opposition was not going to make a decision on the type of technology it would adopt for its nuclear power plants until it won government.

“We’ve announced that we have identified seven sites where nuclear plants could be built,” Mr O’Brien said.

“They could be either small, modular reactors or the modern, larger, technologies.

“We do not believe that it’s the job of politicians – especially from opposition – to be making a decision about the type of technology, other than to say it should be generation three and beyond.”

A Dutton government would only consider the latest technology for its proposed nuclear power plants.

Mr O’Brien said a new Nuclear Energy Coordinating Agency would make a technical assessment of the technology and make recommendations to government about the best technology to use.

It would also assess the feasibility of the different sites proposed.

He said final costing of the proposals would have to await the decision of the agency on the sites and the best technology to use.

“Upon coming to government, there will be a detailed process undergone,” he said.

“On one hand, there will be a process with the local communities. And on the other hand, there would be technical assessments done by a nuclear energy co-ordinating authority, who would ultimately then make recommendations on the site, the technical specifications.”

Mr O’Brien said the Opposition would be revealing more detail about the economics of its proposals “in due course”.

“We made it clear that when it comes to the costs, the economics, that’ll be released in due course,” he said.

“I won’t go further than that in this conversation.”

But he said future costing would show “the level of comprehensive work that’s gone into that position”.

Mr O’Brien said the Opposition’s goal with its energy policy, including its nuclear energy policy, was to get the lowest possible electricity prices in an environment where energy was cleaner but also available consistently around the clock.

He said the nuclear announcement was part of a “balanced energy mix policy”.

“There’s more we will be saying about nuclear, there’s more we will be saying about renewables, there’s more we will be saying around gas.”

The Opposition did not support the “premature closure” of baseload coal-fired power stations with its plan to have the “zero emissions” nuclear power stations coming into the grid, as the coal-fired power stations were closing down.

He said one of the biggest risks at the moment with energy “is the risk that the lights will go out”, noting coal had played a critical role in providing baseload power in the past which would be replaced in future by “zero emission nuclear”.

Mr O’Brien said the Opposition believed that the proposed new nuclear power plants would be owned by government, as they would be “fundamental to our national security and our energy security.”

“They will be off budget and will deliver a positive return,” he said.

He said the Opposition’s focus was aimed at “putting customers and businesses first” in developing its energy policy.