Simon Birmingham says he supports investment in renewable energy and is confident the Coalition’s nuclear power policy will not undermine the sector.Simon Birmingham says he supports investment in renewable energy and is confident the Coalition’s nuclear power policy will not undermine the sector.The shadow foreign minister and opposition leader in the Senate told Guardian Australia in a podcast interview reliance on renewables is increasing because they are becoming cheaper.
But energy analysts have told Guardian Australia that slowing the rollout of renewables and relying more heavily on gas in the 10-15 years before nuclear power could be introducedMarkets director Tristan Edis said the wholesale electricity price was set by the most expensive fuel source being used at any give time.
Power bills could rise by $1,000 a year under Coalition plan to boost gas until nuclear is ready, analysts sayBirmingham confirmed that he supported investment in large-scale renewable energy projects and said he was confident the Coalition’s nuclear energy policy would not undermine investment in that sector.
Birmingham defended the nuclear power policy and said Labor’s plan to reach net zero involved an “imaginary promise” that it could get there without a clean, baseload power source as part of the transition.Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it mattersBirmingham backed “appropriate” emissions reduction targets at “five-yearly intervals” but said modelling them was better done in government.
Peter Dutton’s flimsy charade is first and foremost a gas plan not a nuclear power plan | Simon Holmes à CourtHe said the controversial nuclear power policy made the Coalition a “big target” politically but argued that starting a major national debate could help lift its primary vote and peel support from independents.