The head of the Smart Energy Council has eviscerated the Coalition's nuclear energy policy while accusing Nationals leader David Littleproud of spreading"blatant misinformation" to exaggerate the cost of renewables.
Smart Energy Council Chief Executive John Grimes accused Nationals leader David Littleproud of using “blatant misinformation” to exaggerate the cost of renewables. Picture: Kym Smith / News Corp Australia. The Smart Energy CEO said the cost to transition to “essential a net zero position by 2050” in the energy alone would be less than ten per cent of the figure Mr Littleproud quoted.
“That means the people of Australia will pay three times. They'll pay for the upgrading of the coal and gas to stay in the system much longer - they are more expensive than renewables. The Smart Energy Council head said that far from being an opponent of nuclear, he actually thought it was one of the “pinnacles of human engineering”, it would be an important part of the energy transition for some countries.
“It means renewables plus firming – that means battery storage, so that you can use that renewables 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to power the entire economy – are eye-wateringly cheap.”