The Conservatives have called for an immediate National Policy Statement on nuclear power.
Speaking to BSD, shadow Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) minister Greg Barker has come out in support of the CBI and said the publication of a policy statement is needed as soon as possible.
His comments follow a recent report by the Confederation of British Industry鈥檚 (CBI). In it鈥檚 report Forging a Nuclear Renaissance: Making new nuclear a reality ,the lobby group claims existing policy is 鈥渟ubsidising investments in renewable energy at the expense of other more cost effective low-carbon solutions,鈥 including nuclear. The report demanded a policy statement from government on nuclear power.
Barker said Britain should have a 鈥渂road-based supply of low carbon energy鈥 to ensure it isn鈥檛 over-dependent on one energy source and to reduce carbon emissions. He also said that under a Conservative government, nuclear power would 鈥渂e part of the energy mix if it is economically viable鈥
Matthew Farrow, CBI鈥檚 head of energy, transport and planning, said: 鈥淲e need the nuclear National Policy Statement to be published as soon as possible. It must set out the scale of nuclear investment needed to meet carbon targets 鈥 probably about eight to 10 new plants by 2030. We also need a streamlined planning system to assess individual nuclear planning applications and to resolve the question of whether a new market mechanism, such as capacity payments or a carbon price floor, is needed to enable nuclear new build. This is not about a subsidy, it is about making the returns on nuclear investment more predictable.鈥
To read Greg Barker鈥檚 comments in full, read the December issue of BSD.
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