Nuclear fallout
It's not just the cost of the Coalition's nuclear policy that's left economists uneasy. They're also concerned about its potential impact on energy investment and doubt it would actually reduce power prices.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s unveiling of his energy policy plans has left economists — even those not opposed to nuclear — bamboozled.
Among the most strident critics is George Washington University assistant professor of economics Steven Hamilton, who tells Capital Brief he doesn’t know a “single credible energy economist” who believes large-scale nuclear is a sensible path for Australia.
“By any reasonable measure, it involves significantly higher costs than the alternatives, even when transmission and storage costs are taken into account.”
This means either higher energy costs for Australian consumers — hardly the message cash-strapped families want to hear — or higher taxes.
