One Nation has promised to keep Victoria's largest coal plant running and lift the ban on nuclear energy if it is successful at November's state election.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and state leader Warren Pickering today travelled to the Latrobe Valley, east of Melbourne, to announce the party's Victorian energy policy.
The pair made the announcement at the Loy Yang A power station, which Mr Pickering said the party would not allow to close in 2035 as planned.
The party blames the decline of coal on government policy, which it says has discouraged plant owners from conducting maintenance.
Mr Pickering conceded the party had not spoken to Loy Yang A's owner about keeping the plant open or whether it would cost the state government to keep it open.
"Those figures haven't been discussed just yet," Mr Pickering said.
"The intent would be to encourage the industry through industry future security to tip into the capital expenditure required themselves."
Mr Pickering said One Nation would move to scrap Victoria's 1983 ban on building nuclear power if it won government.
"Victorians deserve an opportunity to partake in the future of nuclear technology," Mr Pickering said.
"Whether that be through new technological innovations in thorium nuclear micro-reactor technology or in accordance with our federal policy position to develop a nuclear facility on the eastern seaboard with Victoria being a beneficiary."
Voters will be offered very different energy policies when they head to the polls in November, with the Coalition and One Nation critical of Labor's renewables rollout.
One Nation has also pledged to scrap renewable energy zones (REZs) in the state's west and a coastal zone for offshore wind and abandon Victoria's commitment to net zero emissions.
A spokesperson for Loy Yang operator AGL said it was aware of One Nation's policy announcement and reiterated the planned closure date for Loy Yang A in 2035.
'I don't think that means terribly much'
Energy experts have questioned the effectiveness of One Nation's policy, with one suggesting it would lead to blackouts.
Grattan Institute energy program director Tony Wood said One Nation's suite of energy policies could bring "huge implications" for Victoria, including risks to reliability of energy and higher prices.
"We know that the coal-fired power stations are aging, like any piece of equipment. As they age, they get less reliable and get more expensive to keep running," Mr Wood said.
"And that puts the reliability of the grid at risk."
Mr Wood said cost was a major deterrent preventing investment in nuclear energy.
"None of the companies that I know of would be particularly interested in building a nuclear power station anytime soon," Mr Wood said.
"Given the cost of building nuclear power stations in other parts of the world, we don't even have a nuclear power industry. We don't have people, very many people at all doing nuclear science at university. And we don't have any regulatory structures around building nuclear.
"It would take a long time."
Victoria University's Victoria Energy Policy Centre director Bruce Mountain said removal of renewable energy zones may not have much impact.
"I don't think that means terribly much," Dr Mountain said.
"There's nothing in the [renewable energy zone] that guarantees renewable energy production or not. And no-one gets a new right or permit as a consequent of being location in a REZ zone.
"Those REZ zones are broad labels that the government department attaches to things. Sort of changing the name of a zone like that I don't think means anything."
