UK Needs ‘Plan B’ for New Nuclear Power, Say MPs
From The Guardian
By Fiona Harvey
The government needs a “plan B” on nuclear power, because of the danger that new reactors will not be built in time to avoid energy shortages and possible blackouts, an influential committee of MPs has warned.
The warning follows concerns raised by Alistair Buchanan, the outgoing chief executive of the energy regulator, Ofgem, that the decommissioning of many of the UK’s ageing fleet of power stations could sharply increase the risk of shortages within a few years.
Already, the ambitions of the UK’s nuclear industry have been dealt significant blows in recent months. The Horizon consortium fell apart and is seeking a buyer, possibly from China, and Cumbria’s councillors rejected the building of a long-term waste repository there.
