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March 23, 2005

New power stations for Scotland?

Building new power stations is a reserved matter and the Scottish Affairs Committee at Westminster is looking at Scotland’s long-term energy requirements. This is related to the planned closure of the nuclear power stations Hunterston B and Torness, in 2011 and 2023. They provide about 35 per cent of Scotland’s electricity.

The committee doubt whether renewable energy will be sufficiently developed to supply a significant amount of electricity, and are looking at the feasibility of building more nuclear stations. This may be controversial but it is not surprising.

However the BBC report that they are also looking at “buttressing the role of coal”. This is an option that should be ruled out. We should be closing carbon dioxide emitting coal-fired power stations, not opening them. Coal may be cheap, but the cost to the environment is not!

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4373885.stm

UPDATE 24 March 05

Mike Weir, the SNP MP for Angus, who is a member of the Scottish Affairs Committee, has issued a robust denial of the need for Scotland to go nuclear.

” … I made clear the SNP’s opposition to nuclear power and took every opportunity to remove the nuclear option from the report… . there is an alternative – Scotland’s wealth of clean green energy… . On the government’s own estimates for energy prices in 2020, Nuclear power is far more expensive than either gas or offshore wind – costing as much as a third more.”

www.snp.org/snpnews/snppressrelease.2005-03-24.4141882531

UPDATE 24 March 05

Building new power stations may be a reserved matter, but planning permissions come under the Scottish Executive.

Following the report by the Scottish Affairs Committee, the Liberal Democrats, SNP and the Greens have renewed their opposition in principle to nuclear power.

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4376391.stm

news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=313572005

Posted by Simon Holledge at March 23, 2005 12:44 AM

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