Antinuclear

According to Alexander Downer Australia must get small nuclear reactors, to power data centres? Really?

Letter to The Advertiser, 20 Aug 26

Alexander Downer and his fans have jumped on the data centre band wagon as the latest reason why Australia should build nuclear reactors. They claim nuclear reactors will provide cheap, reliable electricity to power these data centres.

Presumably the data centres they have in mind are the ones that will be built around 2050, because they won’t be getting electricity from nuclear reactors any time soon. It’s worth remembering that currently no commercial ‘micro’ or ‘small modular’ reactors actually exist.

And ‘reliable’ power (let’s not say ‘cheap’) might just be in winter. Nuclear reactors in Europe are getting shut down left right and centre in summer because their cooling systems can’t handle the heat. Of course, the world will be much hotter by 2050. By then, I expect the nuclear illusion will have vanished like a mirage on the horizon.

August 25, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | technology