Inquiry report shows nuclear too slow and expensive

The newly released interim report for the federal inquiry into nuclear power generation shows nuclear energy is too slow and too expensive to be a solution for replacing Queensland's retiring coal-fired power stations.

According to the Queensland Conservation Council, the report lays bare that the Coalition's nuclear scheme is a taxpayer-funded ploy to keep Australia reliant on polluting coal and gas.

Queensland Conservation Council Campaigner Stephanie Gray said

This new report should be the silver stake in the heart of the Coalition's nuclear fantasy that just won't die. The inquiry demonstrated yet again that nuclear energy is too slow and too expensive to replace our retiring coal power stations and adequately address climate change.

Throughout the inquiry experts repeatedly gave evidence that nuclear energy would cost at least twice as much as firmed renewable energy and couldn't produce one watt of electricity before the country's coal-fired power stations are set to retire.

These inquiry findings highlight that the Coalition’s nuclear ploy is a ruse to look like they're serious about climate change while they actually plan to keep Australia chained to our ageing and increasingly unreliable fossil fuel generators.

Australia is already running on 40 per cent renewable energy. By the time you could build one nuclear reactor, Australia would already be running on clean and affordable renewable energy backed by storage.

For Peter Dutton's nuclear scheme to work, the Coalition will have to stop new renewable energy projects and rooftop solar from being installed – which is exactly what they're modelling shows they plan to do from next year.

Stopping building new renewable energy supply would directly jeopardise major regional employers, like Rio Tinto's Boyne Island smelter, which is switching to run on firmed renewable energy to stay globally competitive.

Queensland Conservation Council appeared as an expert witness at the nuclear inquiry hearings held in Brisbane in November 2024.

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