Dutton wants to build nuclear reactors in communities across Australia.
It’s a waste of time, a waste of money, it will kill jobs, and he still won’t say where he wants to put the radioactive waste.
“As a union representing workers in all energy industries, the ETU has a responsibility to speak out on energy issues. Our position is clear, and long held by ETU members, nuclear power is not a solution to our energy needs. It’s a waste of time, a waste of money, and it will kill jobs. All while killing the current and future investments into renewable energy.
Nuclear is eight times the cost of electricity produced by renewables. Australia cannot waste time on nuclear.
Dutton must abandon this radioactive pipe dream, and instead commit to the delivery of a just energy transition, away from gas and coal, that will provide secure affordable power for all. Electricians will be delivering the energy transition, and they need secure, safe, and well-paid jobs to do it. Workers cannot afford to be left behind and this nuclear fantasy will do just that.” – ETU National Secretary Michael Wright
Nuclear is the most expensive form of energy to build and run:
The energy produced by nuclear reactors is eight times more expensive than electricity produced by renewables.
A 1,000-megawatt nuclear reactor in Australia would cost up to $17 billion, nearly 1.5 times the cost of the same sized coal-fired power station, and 10 times the cost of the same sized solar farm. And it will drive up energy bills.
Nuclear is a waste of time:
Australia needs to move quickly to replace its ageing coal-fired power stations.
We have already lost six coal-fired power stations in the last decade, and twelve more are scheduled to close by 2040.
90% of our coal-fired power will close by 2035. Nuclear will not keep the lights on or our manufacturing onshore: the earliest that we can build a nuclear reactor is 2040. And it will take decades longer to build all the reactors we need to power the grid. And that’s if there are no unplanned delays.
Nuclear will kill jobs:
Nuclear power plants will kill renewable energy jobs. Let’s invest in a jobs-rich future and work to make sure we have safe, secure, well-paid jobs in the renewable sector. Across the country, workers are installing solar panels on houses, installing new large scale solar and wind towers, and putting up new transmission lines. By 2030 there will be more than 1.8 million people employed in renewable energy jobs, growing to over 2.2 million by 2050.
The Electrical Trades Union has a long history of opposing the nuclear power industry.
The ETU’s official policy against the nuclear industry dates back to the 1950s, resulting from the shared experiences of ETU members who returned from Japan after World War II. In the decades since, our Union has regularly revisited this policy to learn more about the nuclear fuel cycle, changes and advances to technologies, technical interaction with the network and economic viability.
As we move towards a Federal Election in 2025, the ETU will be fighting to ensure Dutton’s nuclear fantasy DOES NOT become a reality.