Australia's Opposition Champions Nuclear Future to Tackle Emissions

Australia's main opposition party plans to build the country's first nuclear power plants by 2035, challenging the current government's renewable energy strategies. The opposition argues that nuclear energy will provide a sustainable solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while critics deem it too expensive and slow.

Australia's main opposition party on Wednesday unveiled a bold plan to construct the nation's first nuclear power plants by 2035, asserting that the current government's methods for decarbonizing the economy—such as solar, wind, and green hydrogen—are insufficient.

The announcement sets the stage for a significant electoral showdown focused on energy policy. "I'm very happy for the election to be a referendum on energy, on nuclear, on power prices, on lights going out, on who has a sustainable pathway for our country going forward," opposition leader Peter Dutton told reporters.

If elected, the opposition envisions seven reactors on the sites of aging coal plants across five states at an estimated cost to be detailed later. The current government criticizes this plan as serving the coal and gas industry lobbies and argues that it would slow down the transition to renewable energy. Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen dismissed the nuclear strategy as both impractical and overly expensive.

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