Using gas as a stopgap measure while Australia waits for nuclear power would accomplish little other than increasing energy costs for consumers, which could be reduced by taking up low-cost renewable energy backed with storage.

Australia’s opposition Coalition has indicated that its plan to introduce nuclear power in Australia will depend heavily on gas, to fill the gap in energy generation while nuclear plants are being built.

Jay Gordon an energy finance analyst at US-based thinktank the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), said gas is one of the most expensive forms of electricity generation and its role in Australia’s National Electricity Market is in decline.

Gordon said that while the finer details of the Coalition’s policy are yet to be released, it has confirmed that gas – which provided 17% of electricity generation in 2023 – will be a “huge feature”.