Trump’s energy chief wants us to go nuclear (The Age, Mike Foley, Feb 19, 2025 [1])
Chris Wright, the newly appointed Secretary of Energy in the United States has played in on Australia’s nuclear debate.
“I would love to see Australia get in the game of supplying uranium, possibly going down the nuclear road themselves.”
He went on to say,
“The US would absolutely work with Australia to establish a uranium enrichment process, and it would welcome the development of a nuclear energy industry.”
If we avoid the political noise, why has he taken this stance? And what does it mean in terms of our ethical decision making?
We can recognise the global demand for energy is a shared responsibility, with Australia being able to contribute to low carbon options, rather than focusing primarily on coal and gas exports. As an example, by broadening supply chains, we can provide alternative sources for nuclear fuel. This would reduce global reliance on a relatively small number of countries, particularly Russia and China.
By managing enrichment processes in Australia or through a Multi-Lateral Nuclear (MLN) approach [2], we can have increased control and scrutiny over how our uranium is used. This can include a cradle-to-grave chain-of-custody, and utilising global best practices in fuel management. This could help us expand our nuclear capabilities and align with our AUKUS program.
These initiatives would also allow us to develop a progressive view of energy that extends beyond 2050, and the steps we need to take as a responsible and highly educated country to help the world move away from reliance on fossil fuel. This may even extend to us eventually being a champion in our region, in the development of fission and fusion technologies and nuclear fuels, that will be integral to decarbonization.