New nukes
Local objections to nuclear power plants could be over-ridden under planning changes proposed by the government’s energy review. Councils could alter the appearance and precise location of the sites but would be unable to reject power plants on the grounds they were not needed.
BBC 6th July 2006
Daily Mail 6th July 2006
South Wales Evening Post 6th July 2006
Daily Mirror 7th July 2006
“There are no easy answers.” on Planning Questions. But at last people are asking the questions. Kate Barker of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee poses them in her interim report out this week.
* The Campaign to Protect Rural England asks them in its attack on the campaign by Policy Exchange to liberalise restrictions on new housing on green fields.
** The prime minister is about to ask them in his desire to override local authority objections to new nuclear power plants.
FT 7th July 2006
A new divide in British politics opened today when the Tory leader, David Cameron, signalled that nuclear power should be “a last resort”, while the government appeared to be clearing the path for a new generation of power stations.
Guardian website 6th July 2006
Nottingham Evening Post 6th July 2006
politics.co.uk 6th July 2006
NUCLEAR power should compete on an equal footing with fossil fuels and renewables, the Conservatives said yesterday. David Cameron, the party leader, described the nuclear option as the last resort but also said that it should be made easier for nuclear power stations to be built. His refusal to rule out more nuclear power plants keeps the Conservatives’ options open in dealing with a potential shortfall in energy supplies within the next 20 years.
The Times 7th July 2006
The UK’s trade and industry minister Alistair Darling has given a round of interviews to the media outlining the likely role that nuclear will play in the country’s future energy mix. The government’s long-awaited energy review will be published shortly, and it seems certain that the document’s headline recommendation will be an advocacy of a new program of nuclear power plants.
Energy Business Review Online 6th July 2006
The cabinet and the Conservatives have united behind an energy strategy that opens the door to nuclear power in a bid to tackle global warming and ensure security of supply. An emerging consensus is set to see fast-track planning approval for the construction of new reactors. And both Labour and the Tories are likely to agree that there should be no subsidies from taxpayers for the nuclear industry. Emphasis is also to be put on boosting renewables and improving energy efficiency.
epolitix 6th July 2006
Scotland
SCOTLAND’S chances of becoming the home for new nuclear power stations receded yesterday when it emerged that the planning process would be streamlined to fast-track the development of new stations – but only in England. Alistair Darling, the Trade and Industry Secretary, said he wanted to reform the English planning process to give the government the power to overrule councils, if necessary, and drive ahead with new nuclear power stations. A spokesman for Jack McConnell, the First Minister, stressed that this would not happen in Scotland and that there would be a full public consultation before the planning process even got started, if any applications were made to build new nuclear stations in Scotland.
Scotsman 7th July 2006
CoRWM
A SpinWatch / Nuclear Spin investigation has uncovered documents that seriously question the independence of a crucial British government committee that is looking into the issue of nuclear waste. A highly controversial and divisive issue, nuclear waste is one of the last remaining hurdles that the government has to clear to be able to give the go-ahead to a new generation of nuclear plants.
Spinwatch 5th July 2006
AGRs
HEYSHAM One power station has developed cracks in its reactor cores. Sister station Heysham Two is now also being closely monitored. “But we have no safety concerns,” said a spokesman for British Energy.
Lancaster Guardian 6th July 2006
North Korea
Christopher Hill, US assistant secretary of state and chief nuclear negotiator, arrived in Beijing on Friday as Washington urged members of the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear programme to come up with a unified response to the July 5 missile launches. The US and its close ally Japan are calling for a United Nations resolution to impose financial and military-related sanctions on the hermit state, but the move has failed to win the support of China, Russia and South Korea.
FT 7th July 2006
North Korea said that it would carry out further ballistic missile tests, as members of the UN Security Council fell out over how to punish it for launching seven missiles on Wednesday.
The Times 7th July 2006
Iran
The UN nuclear watchdog chief has warned Iran the world is “getting impatient” because it has not replied to incentives on its nuclear programme.
BBC 6th July 2006
Devonport
Watchdogs have told bosses at Devonport Dockyard to tighten up safety after two spillages of radioactive liquid in three months. The Environment Agency has issued a formal notice to dockyard managers because of ‘weaknesses’ identified in management, operations and maintenance.
Plymouth Evening Herald 6th July 2006
URENCO
Tensions are developing over the future of Urenco, the uranium enrichment company, after France’s EdF made an approach to buy Britain’s 33pc stake for about £2bn. EdF is understood to have approached Mike Parker, chief executive of British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), within the past couple of weeks about a possible deal. Publicly owned BNFL manages the UK holding in Urenco. However, Urenco’s two other owners – the Dutch government and two German utilities, RWE and E.ON – are opposed to EdF buying the British stake. BNFL can only strike a deal with the unanimous support of the other shareholders.
Telegraph 7th July 2006
There is still a strong suspicion in this country about the risks of nuclear energy but France has had a long, relatively leak-free love affair with nuclear for decades. As more of our nuclear assets come up for sale, infrastructure funds backed by UK pension money should be bidding for them rather than leaving the potentially rich, long-term pickings to overseas pension funds.
Telegraph 7th July 2006
Renewable Energy
Generation of green power in Britain rose 16% last year over 2004, according to annual data from the government energy department. Britain generated 16,919 GWh from renewables 2005, 2,748 GWh more than the year before, says the Department of Trade & Industry in ‘Energy Trends.’ Renewables provided 4.2% of total generation, up from 3.6% in 2004.
Re-focus News 6th July 2006
Renewable Energy Targets
Renewable energy will only meet 10% of the UK’s power needs by 2020, half the Government’s aim, according to a new report. The Carbon Trust said wind, solar and other forms of renewable energy was being failed by official policies. Targets were being missed and the cost of installing renewable energy sources was higher than necessary, according to the group. The trust called for a renewed push to promote renewable energy. It said it was still possible it could meet almost one-fifth of energy needs by 2020. Offshore wind in particular offered “significant potential” to help fill the gap caused by a reduction in coal and nuclear power.
Guardian website 6th July 2006
Renewable technologies should also be given more support, said the trust, which campaigned to cut carbon emissions. Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust, said: “Renewable energy needs a better support framework in place to bring down costs. The report said that if the UK gave wave energy better support it could develop an export industry worth up to £4 billion a year by 2050.
Telegraph 6th July 2006
Offshore Wind
THE government yesterday paved the way for the eventual development of the world’s largest offshore wind farm, 20 miles off the Scottish coast. Malcolm Wicks, the energy minister, gave the green light to plans to build two giant wind turbines in the Beatrice Field in the Moray Firth in the first stage of an ambitious deepwater wind-farm project. The £24 million project, a joint venture between Talisman Energy and Scottish and Southern Energy, will use two of the largest turbines in the world to test the technical and economic feasibility of deepwater wind farms.
Scotsman 6th July 2006
Energy Efficiency
Householders could be forced to cut down on energy consumption if they want to keep their lights on under radical measures to be proposed in the government’s energy review.
Herald 6th July 2006
Confronting the environmental hurdles facing Wales is a mighty challenge, writes Sandra Esteves of the University of Glamorgan. But the opportunities and rewards for those at the forefront of finding solutions could be incredible
Western Mail 5th July 2006
