WWF Scotland has endorsed comments reportedly made by the boss at one of Scotland’s top energy companies.
In an interview with the Financial Times [1] Ian Marchant, chief executive of Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), said measures to support the UK’s nuclear power operators would risk damaging the electricity market.
SSE is expected to publish a detailed paper on energy later today.
Said a spokesperson: “Last month, an influential committee of MPs warned the UK Government to be ‘up-front’ about the subsidies it is planning to give new nuclear power.” [2]
Commenting on the news WWF Scotland’s director, Dr Richard Dixon, said:
“Ian Marchant is absolutely right that the market should not be fixed in favour of nuclear power, especially when this will be at the expense of renewable energy schemes and to the detriment of Scotland.
“Nuclear power is dirty, dangerous and ridiculously expensive and is simply not needed to keep the lights on.
“Ministers should be taking steps to end our reliance on both nuclear and fossil-fuels, not finding ways to fix the market or change the rules in their favour.
“Support for reducing energy demand and boosting clean renewables is the only sensible energy policy to be following. The whole of the UK should be following Scotland’s aim of generating 100 per cent of its electricity from renewables.”
Ends
Media contact: Mandy Carter on 07771 818 677
NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] Power chief hits out at nuclear boost, page 4 of today’s Financial Times
The article quotes Ian Marchant, chief executive of Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), saying:
“We don’t think nuclear needs any more support, he said. The existing policies make a significant difference to the outlook for nuclear.
“Don’t get me wrong, we think nuclear should be built in the UK, [but] it doesn’t need any more support.”
Full article available here: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6b24f8ae-8bb0-11e0-a725-00144feab49a.html
[2] “Coalition should be up-front about nuclear subsidy”, Energy and Climate Change Committee
http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/energy-and-climate-change-committee/news/emr-report-findings/
[3] A recent report from FoE Scotland, RSPB and WWF Scotland, Power of Scotland Secured, showed that 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2020 was possible.
http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/power_of_scotland_secured.pdf
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Contact: Mandy Carter
Phone: 01350 728200
Website: http://www.wwfscotland.org.uk
