A massive expansion of renewable energy will still be key to driving Australia’s transition away from coal and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, new modelling shows, even if the Coalition wins the next election and implements a plan to deploy nuclear reactors across the country.
Assuming the Coalition’s seven proposed nuclear reactors add 7 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2050, the rollout would reduce the necessary build-out of solar farms by only up to 7 per cent and wind farms by 12 per cent, the analysis found. Following the closure of 10 large coal-fired power stations since 2012, the Australian Energy Market Operator now expects 90 per cent of remaining coal capacity to shut by 2035. The fossil fuel is likely to have exited the grid entirely by 2040 as ageing plants become less reliable and less competitive against cheaper renewable energy.The Albanese government is seeking to drive the transition by more than doubling the share of renewable energy in the grid.