The question of whether Australia should embrace nuclear power has arisen once more with the release of a new report on the nation's energy options and calls from federal MPs for a debate on the subject.

Professor Vassilios Agelidis, writing for ABC Online's The Drum opinion website, argues that rather than reigniting the same arguments about whether Australia should go nuclear or not, it's time to consider whether it's already too late for nuclear.

"Personally and professionally, I am not opposed to nuclear power," says Professor Agelidis, who is Director of UNSW's Centre for Energy Research and Policy Analysis(CERPA) and a Professor of power engineering in the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications.

"It is mature technology that has been used around the world for decades.

"Unfortunately, however, the course of events in Australia up till now means that, even if we opted for nuclear tomorrow, it will not be possible any time soon, and the reality is it should not be pursued at all because it's simply not our best option."

Read Professor Agelidis' full opinion piece on ABC's The Drum website.