Energy

Affordable and reliable energy is absolutely essential for South Australian households, businesses and industry. Government policies – primarily the obscene rush to taxpayer-subsidised renewables like wind and solar, and premature closures of coal and gas power plants – have directly led to huge increases in our energy bills, a fragile energy system highly vulnerable to shocks (such as that which occurred in September 2016, leading to almost the entire state being blacked out), and looming energy shortages. It’s hurting households, costing jobs and driving away investment, manufacturing and innovation.

This makes no sense in a place like South Australia where there is an abundance of natural energy resources. One Nation’s energy policy aims to leverage this competitive advantage, utilising our natural energy resources to generate cheaper, more reliable power. These resources include uranium as well as coal and gas; One Nation supports modern nuclear technology as a safe, proven and reliable source of emissions-free energy – especially in South Australia, where about 25% of the entire world’s uranium ore deposits are located.

One Nation considers that energy security is critical to economic sustainability and growth, and critical to national security as well. In this context we support diversification of energy sources to ensure we don’t overly rely on just one or two technologies. Nuclear, low-emission coal, gas, hydro, wind, solar and even other emerging technologies like geo-thermal should all be part of the energy mix. One Nation resolutely opposes South Australia’s net zero targets, and the net zero policies of the major political parties.

OUR POLICIES

Embracing coal

South Australia – and the rest of the nation – has abundant reserves of coal. South Australian deposits are immense (more than 20 billion tonnes) although they are generally not considered high quality. High quality coal with low levels of impurities is readily available from other deposits across Australia, particularly in Queensland, and much of it is exported to supply energy and steelmaking overseas. The coal industry is a mature one able to extract and develop this resource efficiently, and deliver cheaper power.

New low-emissions coal-fired power station

One Nation considers South Australia’s energy system is highly vulnerable to shocks due to the prevalence of unreliable renewables (about 70% of energy sources), as demonstrated by the 2016 state-wide blackout and the event in April 2025 which saw virtually all of Spain and Portugal blacked out.

To reduce this vulnerability and lower household and business electricity costs, One Nation will advocate for the construction of a new black coal ultra-supercritical (USC) power plant (USC plants have higher thermal efficiencies and, as a result, lower emissions) at Port Augusta.

Prevailing real-world costs of electricity generated by new black coal USC plants (adjusted for Australian conditions) are approximately $50-70 per megawatt hour (MWh) according to Arche Energy. This is approximately only half the wholesale electricity price in the National Electricity Market (NEM), which averaged more than $120/MWh in 2024.

Australia’s newest supercritical coal-fired power plant, at Kogan Creek near Chinchilla in Queensland, had a 2024 escalated capital cost of $2965 per kilowatt (kW). Assuming a $3000/kW capital expenditure cost, a 500MW black coal USC power plant at Port Augusta (the previous plant generated 520MW) would cost $1.5 billion.

Building this plant will eliminate the need for more wind turbines and transmission lines polluting primary agricultural land and sensitive environments in the state, provide cheaper power to promote investment in local manufacturing and innovation as well as new jobs, and allow for the export of surplus energy interstate to the benefit of South Australia’s economy.

At the Federal level, One Nation will seek to amend National Electricity Market (NEM) rules so the price of energy generated from coal is not artificially inflated.

Embracing nuclear

One Nation considers the enormous economic potential of South Australia’s massive uranium deposits is being squandered. The national law prohibiting the commercial production of nuclear energy is holding back South Australia’s economy while virtually every other modern developed nation in the world is relying on this emissions-free technology and increasing investment in nuclear power, and despite Australia safely operating nuclear reactors at Lucas Heights in Sydney for decades while also seeking to employ nuclear power for the navy’s submarine fleet.

One Nation will address this by:

• supporting a repeal of the Federal legislated ban on nuclear energy;
• exploring the costs, benefits and potential of introducing nuclear technology to South Australia;
• ensuring the state and the nation remains at the forefront of new developments in nuclear technology, such as emerging modular reactor technology, through international partnerships; and
• ensuring the most rigorous safety and environmental standards for nuclear energy.

Ending renewables subsidies

One Nation considers that all energy technologies should compete on a level playing field to deliver energy in South Australia. We will even the playing field by:

• amending the National Electricity Market (NEM) rules so the price of energy reflects its true market value regardless of the generation source;
• encouraging competition among energy providers to lift service standards and drive down costs; and
• explore options for targeted relief for vulnerable households facing high energy bills.

Better environmental responsibility

Energy generation can have a significant impact on the natural environment, particularly in terms of very large infrastructure footprints. One Nation will act to improve the environmental responsibility of the sector by:

• prohibiting wind and solar installations on prime agricultural land;
• prohibiting offshore wind installations on the South Australian coast;
• prohibiting wind and solar developments that impact native forests and other environmentally-sensitive areas;
• prohibiting wind and solar developments where they constitute an increased bushfire risk;
• investing in the development of carbon capture and storage technologies; and
• mandating the use of environmental rehabilitation bonds on all energy projects to address any impacts when equipment and infrastructure reaches the end of its useful life.