Rich in solar and wind power, and bulging in critical minerals for renewable energy technology, Australia touts itself as a leader in the race to net zero carbon emissions.

But a political battle is being waged ahead of Saturday's elections over whether to change Australia's trajectory and add nuclear reactors to the mix for the first time.

The row is reminiscent of the "climate wars" -- a years-long political face-off over the need to slash carbon emissions -- that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed to end when he took power three years ago.

Australia sits on some of the world's largest uranium reserves but it has legally banned nuclear power generation for a quarter of a century.

In the run-up to Saturday's vote, conservative opposition leader Peter Dutton announced a US$200 billion plan to build seven large-scale nuclear reactors by 2050.

His proposal would ramp up gas production, slow the rollout of solar and wind projects, and ditch the clean energy goals set by Albanese's centre-left government.

Dutton says nuclear power would be cheaper and more reliable than renewable energy.

"I haven't committed to nuclear........

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