Nuclear, Wind & Tidal Leaders in Joint Appeal

In an unprecedented joint appeal, the leaders of Britain’s nuclear, wind and tidal energy industries urged ministers not to abandon the fight against climate change.  As the government continues to send out mixed messages on it’s stance on green commercial energy issues, heads of the UK energy organisations – which altogether represent over 1,000 nuclear and renewable power companies – wrote a joint appeal to Prime Minister David Cameron and top Labour Party members George Osborne and Ed Davey.

Rather than appealing for subsidies or tax breaks, the letter’s main goal was a call for Parliament to set a legally-binding decarbonisation target for business energy generation.

Signed by the chief executives of RenewableUK (which represents more than 600 wind and wave and tidal energy producers) the Nuclear Industry Association and the Carbon Capture and Storage Association.

Nuclear Renewable Energy

Historic in it’s creation, the letter is the first time on record that the nuclear and renewable energy industries have rallied together for a joint cause.

Whilst the letter is being seen as sign that climate change sceptics are backing the UK to focus on the so-called ‘dash for gas’ to power the UK for the next few decades, the letter has already found an unlikely backer in the form of Greenpeace.

The environmental group has had a long-standing adversity to nuclear power, but agrees with the consortium that carbon should be eliminated from the electricity system within the next 20 years. A statement from Greenpeace also welcomes the ‘unity’ being shown by the commercial energy companies involved.

The letter comes at a strenuous time for discussing decarbonisation and energy amongst government officials; A meeting due to be held last week was called off after it was revealed the government’s decision-making core members were still too far apart to reach an agreement on the energy bill.

Liberal Democrats are calling on the Treasury to offset the huge upfront costs of opening clean power plants, whilst Conservative George Osbourne believes that gas-fired power stations are better for meeting Britain’s short-term energy needs, and would help keep provide cheap business electricity.

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