JIM Percival, partner specialising in regulatory law and dispute resolution at Brabners Chaffe Street, on the government's go-ahead for new nuclear power stations
ON Thursday January 10, the Government confirmed its support for a new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK.
At a time when rising fuel and energy prices are at the forefront of people’s thoughts, and when climate change and energy security are recognised as major issues by the voting public, it is not surprising that the Government has finally been persuaded to shed its previous reluctance to endorse the need for new nuclear build.
The decision has met with the inevitable mixed response. Greenpeace, which successfully challenged the Government’s earlier consultation process, was quick to announce that it was considering a further challenge. On the other hand, other sectors of our energy-hungry society, not just the nuclear industry, have welcomed what was seen as a long delayed, but inevitable, shift in UK energy policy.
It will still be some time before we see actual construction of new facilities. Opponents of new nuclear, such as Greenpeace, will no doubt seek to raise further political and legal challenges en route, though in my view they are likely to have a much harder task in persuading the courts to overturn this latest decision. Important details are still to be finalised in terms of funding, siting and other regulatory arrangements.
This latest decision is, however, a significant milestone along the road to a new generation of nuclear reactors in the UK.