UK government Energy White Paper reignites Sizewell C power plant argument
In yesterday’s clean energy white paper published by the UK government, nuclear power was officially listed as a source of renewable energy sparking a backlash from environmental groups.
What was in the white paper?
- Supporting green jobs - The government said that it will support up to 220,000 jobs in the next 10 years as part of its ambitious plans.
- Transforming the energy system - The government said this will involve changing the way the country heats its homes, how people travel, doubling the use of electricity, and harnessing renewable energy supplies.
- Keeping Energy bills affordable - This will include offering people a quicker and simpler method of switching to a cheaper energy tariff and testing automatically switching consumers to fairer deals to tackle “loyalty penalties”. Read more here.
- Establishing UK Emissions Trading Scheme - The white paper reveals plans to establish a UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) from 1 January 2021 to replace the current EU ETS at the end of the Brexit Transition Period. Read more here.
- More support for the most vulnerable with their energy bills – The government announced an extension to the Warm Home Discount Scheme to 2026 adding an extra million households that are eligible to discounted energy bills each winter.
What’s the nuclear argument about?
Most of the plans were already expected but the announcement that the government has re-entered negotiations with EDF over the building of a new nuclear reactor at the Sizewell C site has caused outrage from environmental groups.
EDF’s UK Chief Executive Officer, said: “We’re right behind net zero, and by investing in renewables and nuclear at Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C we’re supporting decarbonisation while creating jobs across the UK.
“The time for action is now and we look forward to working with the government to implement its energy and climate policies, including the financing of new nuclear.”
The government also said that it may take a direct financial stake in the nuclear reactor’s construction by the end of the current parliament but made clear that it will negotiate to ensure that it will be ‘value for money’.
With the exception of Sizewell B and Hinkley Point C, which is under construction, all of the UK's existing nuclear power plants are due to be closed by the end of 2030.
The inevitable backlash from groups such as Greenpeace came swiftly with the executive director for the group saying, “It’s good to see the government is determined to shift away from fossil fuels and create thousands of green jobs but building more nuclear power stations is not the way to do it.
“While ministers have been talking to EDF about Sizewell C for years, the offshore wind industry has got on with the job and delivered. If discussions with the majority French-state-owned company ever progressed, the UK public will need to stump up billions of pounds in advance. This money would be far better spent on a flexible grid that can handle the shedloads of cheap renewables increasingly powering the UK.”
Also read: A brief history of energy: Nuclear power
The end of coal
The days of coal powering the UK was delivered a death knell in the white paper as it outlined plans to remove coal from the nation’s energy mix entirely by 2025, or even earlier in 2024.
Retiring the remaining coal power stations could put a strain on energy supply if nothing new is put in its place.
Wind power has recently proven that it is highly vulnerable to weather conditions and a sustained period of no wind has caused the National Grid to issue several capacity warnings throughout the autumn and early winter.
Further Reading
Competition to attract Electric Vehicle owners heats up as EDF launches new EV specific Tariff
Ofgem to increase monitoring of Green tariffs and put an end to ‘Greenwashing’
Energy Suppliers join new Vulnerability Commitment
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