Scientists and campaigners for and against weigh UK nuclear power ambitions
The previous Conservative Government published a roadmap for delivering 24GW of nuclear power onto the grid by 2050, as part of the journey to net zero. The Labour Government has said that nuclear is the only low-carbon technology proven capable of delivering baseload power.
Following the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce’s call for a “radical reset” of nuclear regulation, the Prime Minister used the Autumn Budget to provide a strategic steer setting out expectations for the civil, defence and decommissioning sectors. The Government says it aims to present a full implementation plan within three months, and to complete sector reforms within the next two years.
On Wednesday 17 December, the Committee will open oral evidence on the UK’s nuclear roadmap, examining exactly what the Labour Government’s nuclear ambitions are and what the plan is for delivering them. This follows on from its recent report on siting nuclear infrastructure to meet the UK’s nuclear power needs, in which the Committee called for a planning “one-stop shop” to finally overcome excessive costs and delays in deploying nuclear energy.
Meeting details
In this first session, the Committee brings together scientists and campaigners both for and against the expansion of nuclear power to meet Britain’s energy security needs. “Homegrown” nuclear energy is designed to reduce dependence on volatile international fossil-fuel markets, but large generating sites create new risks too, including the possibility of attack by hostile states. Are the Government's calculations on these trade-offs right?
And with the key issue driving the energy transition being cost to consumers, businesses and industry, can nuclear power be built and delivered while bringing energy bills down?