Peter Dutton has released the costings for the Coalition's nuclear energy plan, proposing to build seven nuclear power stations at the sites of current coal plants. The Coalition says its plan would be markedly cheaper than Labor's plan to convert to mostly renewable energy by 2050. But a report from CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator suggests that renewables have the lowest cost range of any new electricity generation.
Added to this, debates around energy prices are only going to get bigger as the 2025 federal election draws closer. And in the end, is the ultimate goal of emissions reduction getting lost in the clamour for cheaper bills?
On this podcast, Grattan's energy experts Tony Wood and Alison Reeve provide incisive commentary on the state of energy policy - and they argue that Australia shouldn't jump to Plan B anytime soon.
Links to reports mentioned in the podcast:
- Frontier Economics report https://www.frontier-economics.com.au/economic-analysis-of-including-nuclear-power-in-the-nem/
- CSIRO and AEMO GenCost Report https://www.csiro.au/en/research/technology-space/energy/gencost
- Grattan's submission on nuclear energy https://grattan.edu.au/news/nuclear-energy-for-australia/
