Is it time for an adult conversation about nuclear power?

ARE we really ready to turn off the Latrobe Valley’s coal-fired power stations?

The Andrews and Albanese governments would have us believe that we are or will be ready when the time arrives.

But, the alternate prime minister, Peter Dutton, said in his Budget reply speech on Thursday, October 27, that we don’t have time to roll out the transmission lines and turbines before it’s too late, and in any case, the technology is not proven.

He put some unpalatable ideas on the table, including “next-generation zero-emission nuclear, small modular reactors” to fill the gap.

But, if we do continue down the course set by our two governments, the Gippsland coastline and local farmers will be caught in the crossfire as massive offshore turbines are hastily rolled out and high-voltage transmission wires are strung out from one end of the region to the other.

Don’t believe it? Read this.

Here’s what has already been set in train in the Latrobe Valley:

• Yallourn ‘Big W’ Power Station (EnergyAustralia) is set to close in mid-2028. Generating capacity 1450 megawatts, can supply up to 22 per cent of the state’s requirement.
• Loy Yang A (AGL), Victoria’s biggest power station, set to close by 2035. It has a nominal output of 2215 megawatts equivalent to one third of the State's electricity needs.
• Loy Yang B (Alinta Energy), has a maximum generating capacity of 1200MW or approximately 20 per cent of Victoria’s needs. Estimated technical life to 2047 or later.

Here’s what Peter Dutton had to say about the trajectory of power prices, gas and electricity, and Australia’s preparedness to meet its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below 2005 levels by 2030:

“Six months ago, the Australian public heard the Prime Minister very clearly. He said to them that he had a plan to help with your cost-of-living pressures, especially your electricity bills. On 97 occasions he promised to you that your bills would go down by $275. In this budget, instead of going down by $275, as promised, Labor's plan will see your electricity bill go up by more than 56 per cent over the next two years. Not only that, of course, but your gas bill will go up by more than 44 per cent. Pensioners can't afford that level of increase, but it is not just pensioners; it is self-funded retirees, families and small businesses too — in fact, most Australians.

“In Europe, we're hearing about people, particularly pensioners and low-income earners, having to choose between paying their power bills or putting food on the table, between heating or eating, this winter. Their electricity and gas bills are spiralling out of control. Countries are rationing power, and not just because of the invasion of Ukraine but because governments in several countries in recent years have made catastrophic energy decisions.

“They've turned off the secure supply of electricity and gas before the technology and system are ready for new renewable energy. Despite those warnings and lessons, this Labor government is following in the footsteps of those countries.

“Investing in renewable energy, reducing emissions and doing so credibly to protect our environment is crucial, and we're committed to it. Indeed, we want a sustainable and sensible pathway to reduce our emissions. But, when the Prime Minister says to you that the sun and wind are free energy sources, your power bill tells a very different story.

“It's much more complicated than what the Prime Minister wants you to believe. The technology just doesn't yet exist at the scale that is needed to store renewable energy for electricity to be reliable at night or during peak periods. That is just the scientific reality. Firming up means using coal, gas, hydro, hydrogen, nuclear or batteries as an energy source or to store power when renewables aren't feeding the system. But Labor is going to phase out coal and gas before the new technology has been developed and rolled out.

“The energy minister calls gas pipeline projects BS. Indeed, in this budget the government makes it harder for more gas supply, at a time when we need it most. On Tuesday night we saw the government rip up funding for gas exploration and cancel gas infrastructure projects which would eliminate shortfalls and make your bills cheaper.

“They handed over funding to environmental activists who want to overturn gas project approvals. Higher gas prices will be baked in for the foreseeable future, putting high-paying jobs in regional communities at risk.

“Competitively priced hydrogen is at least a decade away, and the best batteries in the world today, like the Victorian Big Battery, provide only 30 minutes of power at full discharge. Labor's push for 82 per cent renewables by 2030 comes without a plan to ensure reliable baseload power.

“Its policies will see hundreds of billions of dollars spent on rolling out poles and high-voltage transmission wires in towns and suburbs. Labor is misleading Australians when it says it can roll out billions of dollars’ worth of transmission wires, cables and towers for renewable energy in just the next few years.

“Regional communities and farms will be carpeted with up to 28,000 kilometres of new high-voltage transmission lines. That's almost the entire coastline of mainland Australia, or the distance of travelling from Melbourne to Perth and back four times. Every dollar spent on new transmission lines will be paid for by consumers, through higher electricity bills—bills your Prime Minister promised would go down by $275.

“The energy minister himself outed the reckless rush to renewables. He acknowledged that, to reach Labor's legislated 43 per cent by 2030 emissions reduction target, 40 wind turbines must be built every month and 22,000 solar panels installed every day in our country for the next eight years.

“These costs will considerably ramp up your power bills over coming years. So, the 56 per cent hike in your electricity bill that the Treasurer never mentioned in in his speech on Tuesday is just the beginning.

“As the Australian Workers Union noted, struggling manufacturers will be forced to move their operations offshore. Should that occur, there will be no net benefit to the global environment, only a net loss of Aussie jobs, income and sovereign capabilities.

“Meanwhile, Canada, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the US are all investing in next-generation zero-emission nuclear small modular reactors. They are doing this to shore up energy security and to meet their zero-emissions targets. The UK plans to triple the size of its new-generation nuclear by 2050. The imperative to create affordable, reliable and emissions-free energy is why the coalition is seeking an intelligent conversation on the role that these new-age nuclear technologies might or might not be able to play in the energy mix.”

Gippsland: Are you ready to talk about it?