‘Incompatible’: Chris Bowen’s new attack on nuclear power

Chris Bowen will ratchet up Labor’s attack against the Coalition’s ‘risky reactors’ nuclear plan, declaring the energy source is ‘simply incompatible’ with renewables.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the Coalition’s ‘ideological pursuit’ of nuclear will ‘wreck the renewables rollout’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Chris Bowen will ratchet up Labor’s attack against the ­Coalition’s “risky reactors” ­nuclear plan, declaring the ­energy source is “simply incompatible” with renewables as Australia’s energy market operator warns that nuclear won’t be able to replace coal because it will take too long.

The sharpening of the Albanese government’s pre-election assault on the opposition comes as Coalition climate change and energy spokesman Ted O’Brien demands Labor “stop its anti-gas crusade” and include gas in its signature Capacity Investment Scheme.

Addressing the National Press Club on Wednesday in a speech titled “Australia’s Energy Choice in the Critical Decade”, Mr Bowen, the Climate Change and Energy Minister, will reveal there has not been a single day in the last year without an unplanned outage at a coal power generator in eastern states.

He will say the Coalition’s “ideological pursuit” of nuclear reactors “in two decades’ time” would “wreck the renewables rollout now”.

Australian Energy Market Operator chief executive Daniel Westerman said on Tuesday there was an urgent need to develop replacement energy for coal, with its engineers and economists focused on finding the least-cost path to reliable and affordable energy.

“We know from our work with the CSIRO on the GenCost report that nuclear is comparatively expensive, and has a long lead time,” he told the Australian Clean ­Energy Summit.

“Even on the most optimistic outlook, nuclear power won’t be ready in time for the exit of Australia’s coal-fired power stations.

“And the imperative to replace that retiring coal generation is with us now.”

With the election due by May and increasing speculation that Anthony Albanese may go to the polls early, Mr Bowen will tell the press club that Australians have a choice at the election between “reliable renewables or risky reactors, but not both”.

He will put forward three reasons developing nuclear reactors would stop the renewables rollout: David Littleproud’s calls for a renewable rollout “pause”; investor uncertainty; and nuclear re­actors not being fit-for-purpose for Australia’s energy grid.

“Why would domestic or global investors try to compete with unlimited taxpayer subsidies for state-sponsored (nuclear) generation? That investment chill wouldn’t come when the first reactor was delivered, in 2035 or 2037 or more likely the 2040s – it would come as soon as the ­Coalition was elected,” Mr Bowen will say. “Australia would be ­trading investment certainty and urgently needed renewable ­investment for the hope of more costly reactors in two decades’ time. If nuclear reactors were ever delivered, they are not fit-for-­purpose for our grid. Our grid is already almost 40 per cent renewable. Renewable energy is incredibly cheap because its fuel is free, whether that is sunshine or wind.

“A base load nuclear power plant will need to keep generating even when there are ample renewables, losing money for every watt of energy produced.

“Baseload nuclear plants simply don’t stack up economically in a grid with significant renewable generation.”

Labelling an over-reliance on ageing coal-fired power stations as the “biggest threat to reliability in our grid”, Mr Bowen will say nuclear replacing coal would only exacerbate that affordability and reliability.

Mr O’Brien was dismissive of the warning, noting the AEMO had no choice under law but to accept the government’s “arbitrary” political targets in making their assessments, no matter how much they conflicted with reality.

“Australia can’t afford to prematurely close its 24/7 baseload power stations before a replacement is ready,” Mr O’Brien said. “AEMO’s forecasts of closure of baseload power is due to Labor policy, which prioritises ideology over energy security.

“The Coalition believes in a balanced mix of technologies including renewables and gas, with zero-emissions nuclear energy replacing coal as it retires from the system.”

Writing for The Australian, Mr O’Brien said Labor must shift gears and start prioritising energy security – including through securing more gas – or let China, India and Indonesia become the “winners”.

He said Labor’s embrace of renewables at the expense of coal, gas and uranium meant smelters and metal processors were looking to relocate to those Asian nations because of energy costs.

“Labor places no pressure on states to explore for gas, let alone produce it, but it funds legal activism to thwart gas projects,” Mr O’Brien said. “Investment in gas is drying up and so too is supply.

“Prices have soared and the market operator is warning of massive shortfalls. Nevertheless, Labor faces an opportunity for course correction this week when energy ministers meet at the Climate Change and Energy Ministerial Council.

“(The council) this week must deliver meaningful plans to pour more gas into the market and put downward pressure on prices.”