DEAR News Of The Area,

IN his latest four-page newsletter on nuclear energy, Dr Gillespie has once again made statements at odds with experts from CSIRO and the Australian energy moderator.

He states that underwriting renewables is putting pressure on coal-fired power stations to close when in fact our remaining power stations are reaching the end of their lives with the last set to close by 2038.

Given that nuclear power plants will take at least 15 years to build, this form of power simply can’t fill the gap left by closure of coal-fired power stations.

It is this that has the capacity to bring about an energy crisis, not the roll out of solar and wind generated power as claimed.

He states that two nuclear power projects will start producing energy by 2035 and that nuclear power plants will allow us to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

This plan depends on when and if they are elected, their ability to remove current bans, find the technology and finance, and the sites to host it.

The Coalition claims nuclear energy will be cheaper, but still haven’t provided any costings.

This claim contradicts CSIRO’s Gencost report that states a combination of wind and solar remains our cheapest options.

CSIRO’s figures also show that small modular reactors could cost up to eight times more than renewables (complete with their associated transmission and storage costs).

This is backed up by the Clean Energy Council’s report that nuclear energy will be up to six times more expensive than solar and wind.

Dr Gillespie claims that Australians are paying some of the world’s highest electricity bills.

Comparisons to other countries show for example that our average prices are well below the OECD average and less than many European countries.

Of further alarm is that the Coalition plans to fund the nuclear power plants from the public purse meaning that billions of dollars will be removed from vital areas such as education and health.

Australia’s biggest supplier of coal generation and baseload power, AGL says there is no room for nuclear in Australia’s transition to renewables–neither on a grid dominated by wind and solar nor at its coal sites that it intends to transform.

Two of AGL’s coal generation sites have been identified by the Coalition for nuclear power plants.

AGL states it has no intention of giving up assets for nuclear power plants, despite threats of compulsory acquisition, as they have their own plans.

It says the site of the recently shut Liddell coal generator in the Hunter Valley is already accounted for, with plans for a giant battery, solar module manufacturing, panel recycling, a link to a planned 400 MW pumped hydro facility and multiple green industries.

Of further concern is that nowhere in the newsletter is there a single mention of how and where the nuclear waste will be stored.

Dr Gillespie continues to criticise the cost of the government’s transmission system – Rewiring the Nation Project – through which investment in new transmission lines aims to deliver affordable, reliable renewable energy to cities, towns, and regional communities, a key part of how we respond to climate change.

Dr Gillespie also ignores that we are one of the world’s most sparsely populated countries with large distances between inland settlements.

The National Energy Market stands as one of the world’s longest interconnected electricity systems, spanning across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria linking to South Australia and Tasmania via undersea cables. It is the most complex single integrated capital infrastructure in the Southern Hemisphere.

Regards,
Sue BAKER.