Coalition leader Peter Dutton’s claims in favor of nuclear power have been refuted by Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen.
According to Mr. Dutton, “any sensible government must consider small modular nuclear as part of the energy mix” in his second budget response on Friday.
He criticized the policies of the Labor government about climate change and warned that they were leading the nation “down the wrong energy path.”
Senator Bowen responded by posting a nearly two-minute video to social media titled “Why Peter Dutton’s Nuclear Plan Is a Dumb Idea for Australia”
Attacking the leader of the opposition, he questioned why the previous Liberal administration, which had nine years to implement nuclear energy, “never got around” to doing it.
He said in the video, “Because it’s a really stupid idea.
The first of the three arguments offered by the Labor Minister to refute Mr. Dutton’s claims that nuclear power was unsuitable for Australia was that it would cost an enormous $400 billion.
He cited CSIRO research showing that nuclear energy is the most expensive form of energy while renewable energy is the least expensive.
“Wherever nuclear power plants are being built around the world, they are taking longer and costing much more than budgeted for,” he claimed.
“Even modest modular reactors would cost an enormous $5 billion each to construct, and supporters claim that we need as many as 80 mini nuclear reactors dispersed around the nation.
“That costs a staggering $400 billion.”
A nuclear power sector wouldn’t be established for more than ten years, according to Mr. Bowen, who then lashed out at the “huge delays” in nuclear reactor development.
“Even if we started today, the first small reactor wouldn’t be in operation to meet the urgent need to deliver dispatchable power now,” he claimed.
“We don’t have a nuclear power industry, regulatory or safety framework, nuclear power expertise, or nuclear power workforce.”
As he wrapped off his video, the energy minister questioned the Liberals on how they would get rid of the trash from 80 reactors, noting that Australia is already having trouble storing nuclear waste from a single small medical reactor.
“The Liberals would need to explain where they’re going to store the nuclear waste,” he added. “If the Liberals want lots of nuclear power plants across Australia.”
“Mr. Dutton and the Liberals need to be honest about a few crucial issues if they want to be taken seriously regarding their nuclear energy strategy.
What will happen to these nuclear power plants? What will they do with the generated radioactive waste? When will they be put into use? How are we going to pay for it, exactly?
After the vicious criticism, former prime minister Malcom Turnbull backed Senator Bowen.
He tweeted, “Very good video and absolutely right.”
