Queensland will need nuclear energy more than any other state in Australia, says former Telstra chief Ziggy Switkowski.
Mr Switkowski, who chairs the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, launched The Australia Nuclear Association Queensland (ANAQ) in Brisbane this evening.
He said the need for cleaner energy was more urgent in Queensland because of the state's population growth.
"Queensland's economy is booming; its appetite for electricity is growing faster than any other state in Australia," he said.
"It's going to have to make decisions earlier than other states in terms of what the next generation of power plants are going to be.
"Given 90 per cent of electricity comes from fossil fuel and in the future we can't use fossil fuels, at least not to the same extent, the creation of this group to stimulate an objective debate about nuclear power makes a lot of sense."
The ANAQ has five corporate members including stockbroking firm ABN AMRO Morgans and 13 individuals ranging from lawyers to engineers.
Association secretary Kate Holmes said the aim was to crank up the nuclear debate but she did not see the association as a lobby group.
"Nuclear energy has been going for 50 years but not many people know much about it," the Brisbane lawyer said.
"The idea is to be an education forum to help educate people on the pros and cons of nuclear energy."
Dr Switkowski said nuclear power was used in 31 countries and Australia would soon have to look at it as a viable alternative to fossil fuels.
He said the ban on uranium mining in Queensland was contentious.
"There is no logic I can see for Queensland to not develop uranium reserves," he said.
The former Chief Executive Officer of Telstra was appointed by the Commonwealth Government to chair an inquiry into the viability of nuclear power in Australia in 2006.
