Acting CEO of the Smart Energy Council Wayne Smith said the Opposition's nuclear policy favors the fossil fuel lobby and will not lower Australians' electricity bills.
Speaking on ABC Radio National, Mr Smith said Coalition leader Peter Dutton's plan would cost billions and deliver no benefits in terms of energy bills.
Dutton will today announce his nuclear energy policy, including proposed sites for future power stations.
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Smith said Dutton was loading taxpayers with a huge bill right at the end of the financial year.
“We're talking about $20 billion to $25 billion per nuclear reactor. And guess what? There's no tax deduction for that,” he said.
“All you get is higher energy bills.”
Smith said what the Coalition was announcing was a “coal policy”.
“What will happen is that we won't see nuclear plants until 2040, probably at the earliest,” he said.
“What is likely to be announced today is an expansion of coal-fired power stations,” he said.
“[Under a nuclear policy] Coal-fired power plants will likely continue into 2040 at taxpayers' expense…that's the reality of what's being announced today.”
