Urgent progress on renewables needed - not new nuclear expense

9.00.00am GMT Sun 16th Apr 2006

Report shows that nuclear power cannot reduce carbon emissions over the next 10 years.

Commenting on the release of the Environmental Audit Committee's Report Keeping the Lights on: Nuclear, Renewables and Climate Change, David Howarth, MP for Cambridge and Lib Dem Spokesperson on Energy, said:

"This report highlights three crucial points. First, it shows that nuclear power cannot make a contribution to reducing carbon emissions over the next ten years, and possibly not for years after that. We need to make urgent and rapid progress on renewable fuels, micro generation and carbon capture.

"Second, the pro-nuclear lobby keeps referring to Finland as an example of privately funded nuclear power but the Committee found very heavy state involvement in the Finnish nuclear power industry.

"Third, many of those claiming that nuclear power is cheap severely underestimate the market rate of return required for a nuclear project. Any measures from the government to reduce the financial risks for companies, such as taking on the liabilities for waste, simply amount to hidden subsidies for nuclear power."