Shadow Energy Minister Ted O'Brien and his Coalition colleague, Senator Matthew Canavan, say Australia should make haste and follow Italy’s decision to consider lifting its ban on nuclear power production.
By early 2025, Italian authorities are considering drafting new laws to allow the use of new nuclear power technology, reversing the country’s current ban.
Italy’s Energy Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin of the Georgia Meloni government, announced his team would produce a comprehensive analysis of nuclear and determine what kind of laws would be needed.
National Party Senator Canavan, who has strongly advocated for nuclear in Australia, said the move highlights the pressing need for change.
“Italy’s move to remove their own nuclear ban shows how out of step we are with the rest of the world in realising that you can’t run an energy network relying on weather-dependent generation like wind and solar,” he told The Epoch Times.
“We need to include nuclear as part of our energy mix in the future if we want to keep our industry here and not rely on intermittent energy from solar and wind,” Canavan said.
He said that because nuclear power is so reliable, Italy has been compelled to look at the option as a way to expand its industrial potential.
Meanwhile, Ted O'Brien, the shadow energy spokesperson, said Australia was isolated among developed countries.
“Out of the world’s 20 largest economies, Australia is the only one not using nuclear energy, or moving towards it. There are 32 countries operating nuclear power plants today, with another 50 looking to do so,” he told The Epoch Times.
“We need to lift the ban on nuclear energy—doing so is essential for our long-term energy security and prosperity,” O'Brien said.
“It’s common sense to have a balanced energy mix and our plan is to introduce zero-emissions nuclear energy which has proven to get electricity prices and emissions down all over the world.”
Nuclear power is a contentious topic in Italy, where nuclear-fired power plants were banned following referendums in 1987—after the Chernobyl incident—and 2011.
Minister Pichetto has recently appointed Professor Giovanni Guzzetta to investigate small modular reactors and advanced modular reactors and the role they can play in the net zero transition.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton has pledged to build seven nuclear power stations by 2050. While the plan faces resistance from the states and has raised concerns among businesses about delaying the energy transition, the Coalition continues to support it.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticised the policy as “fantasy,” calling it implausible in terms of timing and affordability.
“You can’t have energy security by saying ‘we will do nothing for 15 years’ … this is a recipe for higher energy prices and less energy security,” Albanese said.
According to a July 2024 report from the World Nuclear Association, about 440 nuclear power reactors operate in 32 countries plus Taiwan, with a combined capacity of about 390 GW.
In 2023, these reactors provided 2602 TWh, approximately 9 percent of the world’s electricity. The report further stated that around 30 countries are considering, planning, or starting nuclear power programs, and about 60 power reactors are currently being constructed in 16 countries.
