In a fiery rebuke, Climate Change Authority chair Matt Kean has lambasted the federal Coalition’s plan to extend coal power and build nuclear plants, calling it a “wild fantasy” that would drive up electricity bills and deter much-needed investment in renewable energy.
Nuclear Power Push Draws Ire
Speaking at an AFR energy conference in Sydney, Kean pulled no punches in his criticism of the opposition’s nuclear strategy, labeling it “an illiberal drive to intervene in the market-led energy transition [that had] been elevated from internet chatrooms and lobby groups to the national stage.”
The former energy minister in a Coalition government in New South Wales warned that those pushing for nuclear power and extended coal reliance were really trying to “squeeze out profits” from their existing energy assets at the expense of consumers and the environment.
“The ‘delay-mongers’ have latched on to nuclear power despite the overwhelming evidence that it can only drive up energy bills, can only be more expensive, and can only take too long to build.”
– Matt Kean, Climate Change Authority chair
Coal Extension a “Wild Fantasy”
Kean argued that extending the life of aging coal-fired power stations before nuclear plants can be built was a “wild fantasy” that would ultimately prove detrimental to Australia’s energy future. He emphasized that relying on coal would make the grid less reliable, not more so.
“Perhaps the biggest cost of nuclear is time,” Kean stressed. “It is precious time that neither our economy or our environment can afford.”
Vested Interests at Play
The Climate Change Authority chair accused those advocating for nuclear and coal of pandering to “vested interests and self-serving groups” who seek to delay the transition to clean and cheap energy “seemingly to benefit their own careers or their profits.”
“We can’t pander to those vested interests and self-serving groups who want to delay clean and cheap energy seemingly to benefit their own careers or their profits at the expense of the environment, economy and people.”
– Matt Kean, Climate Change Authority chair
US Election Concerns
Kean also expressed concern about the potential impact of the upcoming US presidential election on global climate action efforts. He worried that a victory by Donald Trump in November could jeopardize the progress made under the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, which has poured billions into clean energy industries.
“As someone that cares about taking action on climate change and protecting our catastrophic global warming, I’m hugely concerned about Trump,” Kean admitted. “There’s every indication” Trump would tear up the Inflation Reduction Act if elected.
The Path Forward
As the debate over Australia’s energy future intensifies, Kean and other advocates for renewable energy are urging policymakers and the public to reject the “delay-mongers” and embrace the transition to clean, affordable power. They argue that investing in renewables, rather than clinging to coal or pursuing costly nuclear projects, is the surest path to a sustainable and prosperous future.
With the federal election looming and the global climate crisis deepening, the stakes in Australia’s energy debate have never been higher. The choices made in the coming months and years will have profound implications for the country’s economy, environment, and way of life for generations to come.
