Peter Dutton to reveal key details of going nuclear

The Coalition will release the first major plank of its nuclear energy plan within weeks after identifying up to six or more potential sites, primarily in Queensland and NSW.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Peter Dutton is poised to release a major incentive package for ­ coal communities to move from coal-fired power stations to nuclear energy, promising higher paying jobs and industry energy subsidies, following a US report that found the coal-to-­nuclear transition pumped millions of dollars into regions that adopted them.

The Australian understands the Coalition will release the first major plank of its nuclear energy plan within weeks after identifying six or more potential sites, primarily in Queensland and NSW.

The Liberal leader will address a small business conference on Wednesday to promote the ­Coalition’s nuclear plan as the only proven technology that emits zero emissions while providing cheap, consistent and clean power as a source of baseload power to firm up renewables.

A report by the US Department of Energy released on Monday confirmed it would look to replace its fleet of coal-fired power plants with nuclear reactors, citing significant economic benefits to the local communities who agreed to the transition.

The study found that “transitioning from a coal plant to a ­nuclear one would create ­additional higher paying jobs at the plant, create hundreds of ­additional jobs locally, and spur millions of dollars in increased revenues and economic activity in the host community”.

“Importantly, it also found that, with planning and support for training, most workers at an existing coal plant should be able to transition to work at a replacement nuclear plant.

“Coal-to-nuclear transitions could dramatically increase the supply of reliable, clean electricity to the grid and make progress toward the nation’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.”

Coalition climate change and energy spokesman Ted O’Brien confirmed that a Coalition package that would incentivise local coal communities would be announced before the May budget.

He said that “social licence” would be key to a future rollout of coal-to-nuclear with gas as a transition baseload energy provider.

Mr Dutton has flagged that the Coalition’s nuclear energy plan would provide incentive packages, including potential subsidised electricity prices for local industries as well as new infrastructure.

A key element of the packages would be transition arrangements for coal plant workers to upgrade to higher-paid jobs in nuclear plants.

“The evidence keeps mounting that a coal-to-nuclear strategy is good for host communities, and especially workers as zero-emissions nuclear plants offer more jobs and higher paying ones,” Mr O’Brien told The Australian.

“Like the US, we too have ­regional communities which have supplied energy to keep our economy powering for decades.

“While the Biden administration is maximising options for their communities, the Albanese government is minimising options for ours. To deny optionality to high energy-IQ communities in Australia on the grounds that Canberra knows best is elitist and arrogant, especially when so many coal-plant workers could seamlessly move across to zero-emissions nuclear plants.

“I learnt many of these lessons when I visited Wyoming last year and they have informed our thinking on what’s possible here in Australia.”

Australia’s new Net Zero Transition Authority, which was established last week by the Albanese government, acknowledged that coal communities would be severely affected by the close of coal-fired plants over the next decade.

“Using current coal-fired power station employment numbers, it is estimated that over 3000 coal-fired power station workers will experience disruption to their employment due to announced closures over the next 12 years,” said the bill introduced last week to establish the authority.

“Evidence from NSW, Hazelwood Power Station in Victoria (now closed) and the United States suggests contractors comprise another 30 per cent of the workforce in coal industries. Past experience suggests the unemployed cohort one year after a facility closure could be as large as one-third of ­affected workers, meeting the definition of long-term unemployment by the Reserve Bank of Australia.

“Long-term unemployment can lead to worse economic and social outcomes, including lower quality of life, financial hardship, and poor physical and mental health. long-term unemployment can also become a self-reinforcing cycle, as long-term unemployed individuals face greater difficulty finding work, due to skill depreciation, loss of motivation, and labour market discrimination.”

Mr Dutton will tell the Council of Small Business Australia conference that under its current ­approach, the government couldn’t credibly meet its 2050 net zero emissions target.

“That is why a Coalition government will ramp up domestic gas production to make energy more affordable and reliable and to help transition our economy to new energy systems,” he will say.

“And that is why we want Australia to move towards adopting the latest nuclear power technologies.

“Nuclear is the only proven technology which emits zero emissions, which can firm up renewables, and which provides cheap, consistent and clean power.

“And yet bizarrely, Australia is the only country in the top 20 economies which hasn’t embraced domestic nuclear power or is taking steps to do so.

“With nuclear, we can maximise the highest yield of energy per square metre and minimise our environmental footprint.

“For example, a Rolls-Royce 2ha, 470MW nuclear small modular reactor delivers the same output as 4000ha of solar panels.”

The US Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Kathryn Huff, confirmed on Monday that ­nuclear energy would form part of the US transition to a net-zero economy, while acknowledging coal communities needed to be supported.

“It’s absolutely essential that we provide resources to energy communities and coal workers who have helped our nation’s energy system for decades,” Dr Huff said.