Coalition’s nuclear plan will lead to ‘massive’ electricity shortages and risk blackouts, new analysis warns

The Coalition is yet to release the expected cost of the nuclear plants or how the first two facilities could be operating by 2035 or 2037 – a much faster timeframe than experts say is possible. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

The Coalition’s proposal to cap large-scale renewable energy and eventually build nuclear power plants would lead to “massive” electricity supply shortages risking blackouts, according to analysis released by the federal government.

The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, released the findings of an energy department analysis that suggested electricity supply could be at least 18% less than what will be needed in 2035 under a scenario that reflects the few details of the Coalition plan that have been released.