Coalition MP’s ‘grassroots’ nuclear power survey linked to consulting firm

A Coalition frontbencher conducting a “grassroots” survey about nuclear power is using a website registered by a business that helps an American small modular reactor company, records reveal.

Ted O’Brien, the shadow minister for climate change and energy, issued a statement on Friday saying he was “launching a grassroots community engagement program” under the banner “Time to Talk Nuclear”.

He urged Australians to “join the conversation” by completing a short survey on the website, with the first question being: “What do you think could be the benefits of nuclear energy in Australia?”

Guardian Australia can reveal the web domain was registered by Helixos Pty Ltd, a Sydney-based consulting company whose projects include “supporting the commercialisation of new nuclear energy technology”.

Helixos lists the US company NuScale Power as one of its clients.

Related: Rather than an endlessly reheated nuclear debate, politicians should be powered by the evidence | Adam Morton

Helixos says on its own website that NuScale Power “is reinventing nuclear energy and Helixos is helping them bring it to market”. It adds: “Helixos also provides training for employees to become technology ambassadors and engage with stakeholders and the public.”

A search of domain records for O’Brien’s website shows the contact name for the domain registration is Lenka Kollar, a nuclear engineer who co-founded Helixos in 2020. She previously held the role of director of strategy and external relations for NuScale Power.

In that previous role, Kollar was “working to bring NuScale’s small modular reactor to market through business plan development and clean energy outreach”, according to a profile published in 2017.

Kollar addressed a Global Uranium Conference in Adelaide last month on the topic “reaching net zero with nuclear energy”.

In tweets summarising her speech, Kollar said: “The time is now for Australians to have a conversation on nuclear energy and potentially overturn the ban.”

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It is understood O’Brien engaged Helixos – which also does design work – as a contractor to support the development of the website. As part of designing the website it also registered the domain name.

A source close to the matter said O’Brien’s team had sought out Helixos, believing it was ideal for the job because of its familiarity with the topic of nuclear energy.

But the source said O’Brien had come up with the idea of the survey and the questions, and paid for the work himself.

In a written response, O’Brien said the purpose of the survey and the use of collected data had “all been openly and accurately communicated”.

“I’m personally paying for the grassroots community campaign ‘Time to Talk Nuclear’ out of my own back pocket because I think it’s an important conversation to have with the Australian people,” O’Brien said.

“As we assess the prospect for nuclear energy moving forward, I will continue to seek assistance from people who are experts in the field.”

The vice-president of marketing and communications for NuScale Power, Diane Hughes, said: “Helixos does in fact provide services for NuScale Power.

“However, outside of providing an example image of our small modular reactor technology, NuScale does not have any involvement in the website, survey, nor outreach on advanced nuclear technologies being conducted by Mr O’Brien.”

Helixos and Kollar were also contacted for comment.

Helixos describes itself as a business that works “at the intersection of strategy consulting and technical advisory, specialising in cleantech commercialisation” and says it acts in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Helixos’s projects are listed openly on its own website.

It works with the Energy Policy Institute of Australia “on editing public policy papers to promote progressive, technology-inclusive energy policy”, including one focusing on “the ability of small modular reactors (SMRs) to support a ‘just transition’ for coal communities in Australia”.

Helixos states it worked with SMR Nuclear Technology Pty Ltd “to develop a proactive stakeholder engagement strategy” to “help achieve the main goal of having nuclear energy considered as part of Australia’s future energy mix”.

Robert Pritchard, who is both chair of SMR Nuclear Technology and executive director of the Energy Policy Institute of Australia, declined to comment.

The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, said in his budget reply speech that the Coalition wanted “an intelligent conversation on the role that these new-age nuclear technologies might or might not be able to play” in Australia.

Announcing the “grassroots community engagement program” on Friday, O’Brien said the starting point would be “an online survey that will open a two-way conversation with the Australian public about the benefits and concerns of advanced nuclear technology becoming part of Australia’s future energy mix”.

“Other countries are reducing their emissions while keeping costs down and their network secure with nuclear energy,” O’Brien said.

“The question is - should we? Together with the Australian people, let’s find out.”

The survey has only three mandatory questions, starting with views on the benefits of nuclear energy in Australia.

It then asks what concerns, if any, the participant holds about nuclear energy, followed by any questions they might have. There is an optional section to “stay informed” by submitting an email address and postcode to O’Brien’s team.

O’Brien’s website also sets out frequently asked questions such as: “Is nuclear energy clean?”

The answer states: “Yes! Nuclear power’s total life-cycle carbon emissions and raw material requirements are the lowest among other energy sources, even lower than wind and solar.”

The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, has previously accused the Coalition of pushing the nuclear debate as a “rearguard attempt to undermine and deny the transition to renewables”.