New powers for regulators to monitor electricity and gas markets will be examined by a crisis meeting of energy ministers as senior executives say power price spikes will persist through winter until malfunctioning coal-fired generators can be brought back online.

Nuclear for Climate Action CEO Robert Parker, a former president and vice president of the Australian Nuclear Association, told Liam Bartlett on 6PR Mornings there is a clear focus on why Australia needs the debate on climate change.

“People thought there would be some smooth transition to zero carbon electricity, but that was never going to be the case,” he told Bartlett on World Ocean Day.

“The analysis that we have done has demonstrated that if we went to a nuclear-based future, not exclusively, but the backbone of our system was nuclear energy, the cost of that system would approximately half of that which would be 100 per cent wind and solar.

“We propose a system with about three quarters nuclear, about 17% solar and about 7% hydro, that would come in at about half the cost, using small nuclear power plants or large plants too, a hybrid system, it really comes down to the timing and how quickly you want to take this through transition to zero carbon.

“That really is the back story to all of this – the aim is to go to zero carbon, if it’s not the aim, then one can let the status quo continue… as the rest of the world has resolved long ago (to reduce emissions).”

Press PLAY to hear the full interview with Robert Parker on Mornings