E3G

Decoding nuclear nonsense: 7 myths and their antidote

By Tom Burke

Following the publication of the 2007 Energy White Paper by the UK government last week E3G Founding Director Tom Burke has contributed an article to Open Democracy which draws out some of the themes of his recent speech and readers guide. 

Decoding nuclear nonsense

The British government is proposing nuclear power as an answer to the country’s energy needs. Wrong, says Tom Burke.

The argument over nuclear power in relation to Britain’s future energy needs is set to intensify with the government’s announcement of a five-month “consultation” on the issue on 23 May 2007 to accompany the publication of its white paper on energy policy.

To avoid this consultation becoming the sort where the conclusions and the practical outcomes are decided by the host in advance, it is essential to begin by clearing away some of the myths that encrust the issue.

Here then is a provisional list of seven elements of the pro-nuclear case, which can be expected to have a full airing in the weeks ahead, along with their antidote: evidence and argument based on economic, political and environmental reality.

The first element in the nuclear myth-complex is the observation that the generators must be allowed to build new nuclear-power stations. This is an intentionally misleading statement. There is nothing to prevent anyone who wishes to build a nuclear-power station from doing so today. Except, that is, the economics. The reason no one is applying to build new nuclear-power stations is that there is no pressing need to do so at the moment.

Much is made of the uncertainty caused by the regulatory and the planning system. These arguments are largely hand-waving. The real barrier to investment in new nuclear build is the uncertainty about future electricity prices and the cost of actually constructing nuclear reactors. Uncertain electricity prices are a consequence of a liberalised electricity market and a government policy explicitly intended to drive down electricity prices. This leaves a government intent on having new nuclear build with the choice of abandoning the liberalised electricity markets it wants the rest of the European Union to adopt or finding someway to cheat on its pledge to provide no subsidies.