We have made a submission to the House Select Committee on Nuclear Energy. “We think this nuclear debate makes no logical sense and is a distraction while the Labor Government and Opposition Parties continue with policies to expand coal and gas, and continue the enormous Fossil Fuel subsidies currently running at $14.5 billion. “

Nuclear energy is risky, slow, and wildly expensive, and would add considerably to cost of living through electricity prices.

Find out more from Don’t Nuke the Climate: https://dont-nuke-the-climate.org.au/

Here is our Executive summary followed by our full submission.

Executive Summary

We think that nuclear power is in no way compatible with Australia’s energy transition to meet Australia’s legislated 2050 climate target.

Australia has an abundance of potential renewable energy, potential for expanding the grid transmission network, and able to increase electrical storage opportunities to meet grid demand. 

We have excellent  solar insolation for capturing solar power.

We have abundant opportunities to capture wind energy, both from onshore wind farms and offshore wind farms.

Both grid solar and onshore wind farms provide an opportunity for maximising land use for electricity generation and farming activities, generating farm income, and contributions to local communities

For electrical storage we are already ramping up grid batteries, community batteries, pumped hydro storage, virtual power stations utilising EV batteries.

There are other niche power generation potentials  including geothermal power, tidal and ocean wave power generation.

Once solar and wind generation are in abundance, electrolysers can use abundant renewable electricity to generate renewable hydrogen which can first be used to displace hydrogen produced from fossil gas for fertilisers, petrochemical processing, and be used in industrial processes such as steelmaking, and also used for peaking power use.

Renewable energy is clean, safe, affordable, low risk and popular.

Nuclear energy is risky, slow, and wildly expensive.

Our shared energy future is renewable, not radioactive.

We think this nuclear debate makes no logical sense and is a distraction while the Labor Government and Opposition Parties continue with policies to expand coal and gas, and continue the enormous Fossil Fuel subsidies currently running at $14.5 billion. 

We cite the Labor Government continuing to approve new coal and gas projects during the  current term, the $1.5 Billion subsidy for the Darwin Middle Arm industrial hub that will enable LNG Gas export from Beetaloo Basin Gas Fracking.

We note this debate is taking place when the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has just issued a Red Alert “at the sheer pace of climate change in a single generation, turbo-charged by ever-increasing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.” 

Any plan for nuclear development in Australia fails abysmally to reduce emissions in a suitable time frame to address the climate emergency we are in.