Energy war of words over nuclear and renewables

Reacting to the clash of words between Scottish and UK Ministers over the future of electricity generation, Dr Richard Dixon, Director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:

“The UK Government’s obsession with getting new nuclear at any cost is a direct threat to investment in renewables and efficiency. The bottom line is that Scotland is rich in clean, green energy sources, and green electricity will be in demand more and more as the rest of the UK and countries in Europe try to cut climate emissions. On the other hand new nuclear power creates dangerous wastes and needs a fortune in public subsidies to get built at all.

“If Europe eventually clears the way UK electricity consumers will be paying around a billion a year for 35 years to subsidise only two reactors in England. Just a fraction of this money would see the widespread roll out of renewables and improvements in energy efficiency.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. Friends of the Earth Scotland is:

* Scotland’s leading environmental campaigning organisation

* An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland

* Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 77 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups – covering every continent.

www.foe-scotland.org.uk