Governments shouldn't be trying to "shape" anything. If they got out of the way and limited their role to ensuring the costs of each generation option are fully reflected in the price, the market would take care of the rest. Nuclear would easily be competitive in most countries (but not Australia).

This concept is not new, and if the Greens would accept the opinions of the scientists not just when it suits them, they might see that there is no clean energy future without nuclear.

Sigh, another one!

The Second Law Of Thermodynamics is CLEAR that all Solar renewables and wind/wave derivitives will require the equivalent amount of fossil fuel energy (in manufacture, transportation, collection and maintainance) as coal fired power stations.

Solar energy is a NOVELTY, with at best a temporary, backup role in energy production.

The IEA as a science organisation OUGHT to know this. Who are they kidding!

Nuclear power, because of mining costs, environmental costs and huge fossil fuel based manufacturing (cement and steel for starters) is not much better over power station lifecycles.

HOT ROCK (@ up to 7KM depths) GEOTHERMAL is the only terrestrial option that will eliminate fossil fuel use over time.

Its taboo to mention Geothermal because Arab-OIL and Peabody coal OWN and RUN this planet.

How scientists get caught up in the lies, how they ignore Basic LAws of physics while besmirching those laws with ingenious but woeful statistical modelling tells me that vested interests, conflicts of interest and grants are more fundamental than any scientific truth.

The Federal Goverment must carry much of the shame because it has been tooling around with GEOTHERMAL in the Hunter for a decade and just lamely pays tons of taxpayer dollars to see vested interests castrate the whole enterprise while talking up IMPOSSIBLE SOLAR options out the side of its collective mouths.

Thanks for the rant, KEAP.

Now that you have got your pro-geothermal opinions off your chest, how about answering some questions. Here are a few, with my rough guesses as answers.

1. How many geothermal generating plants are there world-wide, excluding those which, like Rotarua, sit on top of active steam geysers? Answer: 1 trial plant, in Europe, about 3MW max capacity.

2. How many Australian test wells have been drilled so far and at what cost?
Answer: Perhaps 10, none yet successfully generating even enough steam for a photo opportunity. Cost: Public subsidies, about $500M, Private funds, a similar amount. Personal reputations: The reputations of Chairmen and CEO's of failed start-ups have hardly been enhanced through their efforts to date.

Yet you advocate this as the only and best hope for the future? I wish that you were correct, but you are certainly and resoundingly not. Far from it. Best of luck, though - perhaps, when the world is about 6 degrees warmer than at present, the remaining human tribes might make it work.

Fi, Fye, Fo, Fum, I smell the stink of big COAL.

Phewww!

Get the gas masks!