The Liberals have reignited the nuclear debate, with a frontbencher saying Australia must have nuclear power if it is to slash greenhouse gas emissions.

But the government has vehemently rejected the push and says people do not want nuclear power plants in their suburbs.

Liberal frontbencher Ian Macfarlane opened the latest round of the radioactive debate when he talked up "yellowcake" in a speech.

"It's a black and white answer. Or should I say a black, green and yellow answer," he said in the speech, to be delivered in Brisbane on Tuesday night.

"Clean coal, renewables and yellowcake - we must include nuclear in our future baseload clean energy mix."

Mr Macfarlane, who was resources minister in the Howard government, said it was an "inconvenient truth" that only nuclear power could provide baseload electricity while cutting emissions.

He dismissed fears of a Chernobyl-type disaster, saying that "burying mere tonnes of radioactive waste in geological stable rock" was low-risk.

In his speech to the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Mr Macfarlane said Australia should make full use of its generous uranium reserves.

Liberal leader Brendan Nelson backed Mr Macfarlane's fresh nuclear push, saying he had "a very strong argument".

"Our view is that there needs to be consideration in Australia given to the development of a nuclear power industry," Dr Nelson said.

"We need more rational discussion about nuclear power in Australia and much less of the emotive, political debate we've had in the last few years."

Dr Nelson said a nuclear industry would get off the ground only if both the coalition and Labor backed it. He offered to talk with the government about it.

The opposition's renewed support for nuclear power signals a policy shift.

Last year, then prime minister John Howard said Australia had to consider nuclear power if it was serious about climate change.

This February, Dr Nelson ruled out nuclear power.

"We cannot envisage any circumstance under which Australia will have a nuclear power industry," he said then.

Now he appears to have warmed to the idea.

The wider party has also appeared divided over the issue.

Senior Liberals Nick Minchin and Greg Hunt have spoken out against nuclear power. Others have spoken strongly in favour of it.

The mixed messages on nuclear power is reminiscent of the party's struggle to unify around a climate change policy.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett attacked the push for nuclear power, saying Australians did not want it.

"The last election showed that Australians are absolutely of one mind about not having 25 nuclear power plants dotted around their suburbs and in and around their cities," Mr Garrett said.

He accused the Liberals of having a "dog's breakfast position" on nuclear energy.

Mr Garrett told the Liberals to stop "trotting out their old pro-nuclear plans".

Federal Climate Change Minister Penny Wong joined the fray.

"Are they really saying that they have a plan for 25 nuclear reactors in Australia? Where are they going to put them?" Senator Wong said.

She said the Rudd government remained firmly opposed to nuclear power.

"Australia has an abundance of renewable energy sources. We have a lot of solar, we have a lot of wind, we have geothermal resources," she said.

"We don't believe it's appropriate for Australia to go down the nuclear path."