The future of nuclear power in Australia | Four Corners

Is nuclear a viable answer to Australia’s energy woes or is it a quixotic quest never to be realised?

Peter Dutton says without nuclear we’ll never reach net zero, yet his own party’s former leader, Malcolm Turnbull, says it’s a “dangerously stupid” idea.

Many say the answer lies overseas – in countries that have already embraced nuclear as a part of their energy puzzle.

In Nuclear Gamble, reporter Eric Campbell travels to the largest producer of nuclear energy in the world and the place where atomic energy all began – the United States of America – to find out if we should go all in on this controversial energy solution.

CHAPTERS
00:00 – The nuclear power plan
02:03 – The nuclear gamble
04:20 – The political fight
05:01 – How much will it cost Australians?
06:35 – Vogtle plant
09:10 – Impact on energy prices
11:40 – Lessons to learn
13:20 – Nuclear engineers
15:40 – Building new plants
18:50 – Nuclear influencers
22:27 – Searching for a peaceful use for atomic energy
24:50 – Small modular reactors
28:30 – Bill Gates investment
29:05 – Clean energy
34:10 – Coal power plants closing in Australia
37:50 – Are renewables the answer?

This episode was originally broadcast as ‘Nuclear Gamble’ on 07 October 2024 on ABC TV and ABC iview.

Four Corners is Australia’s premier investigations documentary series.

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