Australians are none the wiser on cost, timing, water use and radioactive waste following the Leader of the Opposition's speech on nuclear energy today.
"Real world experience of nuclear reactor construction in democratic countries this century shows they cost six to ten times more than initial cost estimates, coming in at a cool $A20bn to $A45bn per reactor," said the Australian Conservation Foundation's CEO Kelly O'Shanassy.
"Extensive modelling by Australia's leading scientific agency, CSIRO, shows nuclear is by far the most expensive energy option. Taxpayers and households would inevitably pick up the tab.
"Cost comparisons with nuclear reactors built in autocratic regimes, where construction workers have few rights and are paid a pittance, are not relevant to the debate here.
"The big power companies in Australia aren't interested. This year, AGL's CEO said nuclear wasn't in his company's plans, while Alinta's CEO compared the Opposition's idea of replacing coal plants with nuclear power to 'looking for unicorns in the garden.'
"Australia's leading insurance companies will not cover damage from a nuclear disaster.
"The Opposition hasn't been clear about the cost to taxpayers, the timing, or what would happen to the waste, which remains radioactive for many thousands of years.
"Without bipartisan support and facing community, legal and political obstacles in every Australian jurisdiction, the Opposition's claim there will be nuclear reactors operating in a decade should they win the next federal election is fanciful and mischievous.
"Nuclear requires tonnes of water every minute to cool the reactors to produce electricity. In contrast, wind and solar need little or no ongoing water use on this dry continent.
"Going nuclear would slow down the clean energy transition, pose reliability of supply issues in the next decade, increase household power bills, introduce the possibility of catastrophic accidents and create intergenerational risks in managing the radioactive waste - undoubtedly with a disproportionate burden on First Nations communities.
"Nuclear is a dangerous distraction and delay to effective climate action. Australia's energy future is renewable, not radioactive."
