Prepare for a nuclear re-run

February 15, 2026

Peter Sainsbury’s piece on nuclear is timely. Wealthy players on the right are no doubt ready to ramp up opposition to our transition to renewables. Angus Taylor’s official page states he was “the Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction in the former Coalition Government…played a key role in reducing energy prices…lowering Australia’s emissions to record lows”.

Will nuclear be the debate we have to have, again? It is likely the Coalition’s past ‘energy policies’ will be recycled, no matter how many times Taylor now says he will move “forward”. We will be told that nuclear is essential, especially given the huge demand from data centres; we will be fed misinformation/disinformation about costs and safety. The science and economics of nuclear versus renewables will be endlessly questioned. One Nation has farcically suggested the construction of “one advanced pressurised water nuclear reactor to provide about 1400MW of emissions-free baseload power on Australia’s east coast, at a location to be determined in consultation with the Australian community, at an approximate cost of $6.8 billion”. Some Coalition and One Nation voters are a risky combination. Rational thinkers must be ready to oppose it, with Sainsbury’s facts at the ready.