Australians warming to N-power

Age
Tuesday 13/10/2009 Page: 1

AUSTRALIANS are warming to the idea of nuclear energy, with almost one in two saying it should be considered as an alternative source of energy to help combat global warming. An Age/Nielson poll found 49% of Australians believed nuclear should be on the nation's list of potential power options, while 43% were opposed outright. The finding marks a big shift of public opinion from 2006, when a Newspoll showed just 38% in favour of nuclear energy and 51% opposed.

But ahead of the Copenhagen climate change conference in December, the Rudd Government has restated its total opposition to using nuclear energy to help Australia meet its future carbon reduction targets. During the 2007 election campaign, after prime minister John Howard tried to put nuclear energy on the agenda, then opposition leader Kevin Rudd said: "If you elect a Labor government, there will be no nuclear reactors in Australia, full stop." Supporters of nuclear energy say it is the only practical low emissions alternative to coal for generating baseload electricity the minimum required by industry and residential users.

Ziggy Switkowski, who chairs the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, said Australia was the only developed nation that believed it could make deep cuts to carbon emissions without resorting to nuclear energy. "[We must] provide for the next generation of baseload electricity generation with clean energy. The only way to do that is with nuclear energy," Dr Switkowski said. Support for consideration of nuclear energy is strongest among Coalition supporters (58% ), and opposition was strongest among Greens voters (62% opposed). ALP voters were evenly divided, with 46% in favour and 46% opposed. But only 13% of them expressed strong support, while strong opposition among Labor voters was 24%.

Survey respondents were told: "The introduction of nuclear energy has been suggested as one means to address climate change", and then asked: "Do you support or oppose the Federal Government considering the introduction of nuclear energy in Australia?" Federal Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson restated the Government's opposition to nuclear energy as a way of meeting Australia's future greenhouse commitments.

However, he also cast doubt on the effectiveness of photovoltaic solar energy, one of the technologies championed as a possible future renewable energy resource. Mr Ferguson told The Age he doubted that photovoltaic would ever make a significant contribution to Australia's energy needs. But lie believed solar thermal technology, which uses the sun's heat to boil liquids such as water to power a generating turbine, was more likely to be the answer. Mr Ferguson said the main problem with renewables was the inability to store energy.

He said the renewable sector kept insisting it was an alternative to coal as baseload power and this was not the case. "So if we are going to make progress on the solar front you are thinking about similar energy outcomes, that's why storage is the issue," Mr Ferguson said. "We are like every country trying to balance reducing energy. But this goes against an International Energy Agency prediction that global energy demand is likely to increase 40% by 2030."

Victorian Energy Minister Peter Batchelor dismissed nuclear energy as an option for the state. He said increased reliance on lower-emitting gas, clean coal and renewable energy sources were the way ahead. Mr Batchelor defended the Government's energy record, saying it had added 2000 MWs' capacity since coming to office. However, hopes for a cleaner future for Victoria's power industry received a setback last month with the abandonment of a "carbon capture" project at a proposed coal power station near Morwell, which instead is to become a gas-fired station.

HRL Ltd said the planned Morwell plant would be fitted with carbon capture technology "when commercially viable". In another setback last month for the renewable energy sector, Solar Systems, which was to have developed a 154-MW solar photovoltaic power station near Mildura, was put into administration. Recent protests at Hazelwood power station in the Latrobe Valley have highlighted the fact that most of Australia's greenhouse gases emissions come from generating electricity by burning coal.

Coal is Australia's biggest income earner, making the country coal dependent for energy and exports. Australia also has the highest greenhouse emissions per head in the world. Meanwhile, a separate opinion poll has found that climate change is dropping as a priority for Australians. Australians have gone from ranking climate change in 2007 as the equal most important foreign policy goal, to putting its seventh out of 10 possible goals, the annual Lowy Institute poll found.

QuestIon: Do you support or oppose the Federal Government considering the introduction of nuclear power in Australia?
49% supported the proposal
43% were opposed
62% of Green voters opposed
58% of Coalition voters supported