Solar Tech Conference Attendees Walk out on Opposition Energy Spokesman

Opposition energy spokesman Ted O'Brien wants nuclear power added to Australia's energy mix. Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

A speech given by Opposition energy spokesman Ted O'Brien at a solar technology event in Brisbane has ended with attendees walking out after the MP claimed Australia’s plans to transition towards renewable energy would make it a “poor and weak nation” plagued by blackouts.

As part of its commitment to meet clean energy targets by 2030, the Australian government is reducing its reliance on coal-powered electricity with wind, hydro, battery, and solar power projects.

But Mr. O'Brien, who spoke after others had championed the use of renewables and battery storage technology, said their use was experimental and would not generate the energy capacity the country needs and even endanger the national grid.

“The days of an affordable, reliable, 24/7 power system will be gone,” he said. “Australia will be left as a  poor and weak nation, highly dependent on foreign supply chains.”

Whilst not against using solar power, Mr. O'Brien said he believed improved battery technology was required to reduce grid saturation by solar units.

“Solar has enormous potential in this country, still yet, but we have to be clear-eyed too on the challenges as much as the opportunities as we move forward,” he said.

Mr. O'Brien instead extolled nuclear power by saying it was needed to avoid regular “blackouts and brownouts.”

“While our current electricity system is powered by renewables, gas and coal, I believe that our future system will be powered by renewables, gas, and zero-emissions nuclear energy,” he said.

His comments ignited a heckler from the floor, which was followed by a walkout of around 20 people from the event.

Nuclear Advocacy

In March, Mr. O'Brien, who chaired a 2019 parliamentary inquiry into nuclear energy, publically disagreed with a report authored by NSW Chief Scientist Hugh Durrant-Whyte that said it would be “naïve” to think a nuclear power plant could be built in less than two decades.

“The best experts around the world with whom we’ve been engaging, are saying Australia could have nuclear up and running within a 10-year period,” Mr. O’Brien.

“If you want to get to net zero and make sure energy is still affordable and reliable, you must have zero emissions nuclear in your mix, in the absence of that you don’t have a credible path in Australia to net zero.”

He was also heavily criticised by the government for visiting Hiroshima in Japan to film videos in 2023.

The films titled “Time to Talk Nuclear: What can Australia Learn from Japan?” and “Time to Talk Nuclear: What can we learn from Hiroshima?” discussed nuclear energy’s applications for Australia.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Mr. O’Brien of going on a “frolic” to Japan to advocate for nuclear power.

But a spokesman said, “Mr. O’Brien travelled to Japan to address these issues openly and honestly and he has been very transparent about his visit.”

“After receiving positive feedback about striking such a respectful tone in his various publications on the sensitive issue of nuclear technology in Japan, a political opponent is now seeking to malign his character. Any suggestion that he was spruiking at the Peace Memorial Park is patently untrue,” he said.

Strong Support for Renewables

Meanwhile, Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic told the conference audience via a prerecorded video that the government had been developing a “national battery strategy” to optimise minerals used in their production.

Australia is one of the world’s largest producers of lithium, which is a key component in lithium-ion batteries used in EVs and energy storage systems. Nickel is another important component that Australia also has significant reserves of.

Federal Member for Chifley Ed Husic at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Dec. 10, 2020. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

“We have been working on the development of the national battery strategy because we hold the bulk of the world’s resources in critical minerals and rare earths, yet we do very little value-add creating energy storage systems,” Mr. Husic said.

“We’re generating so much power from solar we should be able to provide energy storage solutions for residential, commercial and industry use.”

Clean Energy Council Queensland policy and impact director Tracey Stinson told the conference that renewable energy accounted for 39 percent of Australia’s energy generation in 2023—a significant rise from 32 percent across 2022-23 and the 9 percent recorded in 2021-22.

“That’s more than doubled in the last five years,” Ms. Stinson said. “That 80 percent target by 2030 is very much in our sights.”