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Governments facing nuclear clash Governments facing nuclear clash
(about 1 hour later)
The Scottish Government has defended its opposition to new nuclear energy, ahead of an announcement by UK ministers on more power stations. The Scottish Government has defended its opposition to new nuclear energy on the day UK ministers announced proposals for more power stations.
The plans, to be announced by Business Secretary John Hutton at Westminster, are not expected to include any projects north of the border. Business Secretary John Hutton told Westminster that companies would be invited to submit plans to build and operate new nuclear power plants.
But Holyrood ministers said they wanted "clean, green" energy.
Scotland's Finance Secretary John Swinney denied his government was risking future energy supplies.Scotland's Finance Secretary John Swinney denied his government was risking future energy supplies.
Holyrood ministers said they wanted "clean, green" energy. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said that the UK needs a more independent power supply, but critics, including the SNP, have argued that a new generation of new stations would be expensive, dirty and dangerous.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said that the UK needed a more independent power supply, but critics, including the SNP, have argued that a new generation of new stations would be expensive, dirty and dangerous.
The UK's existing nuclear power stations produce about 20% of the UK's electricity, but most are due to close by 2023.The UK's existing nuclear power stations produce about 20% of the UK's electricity, but most are due to close by 2023.
On Thursday, Mr Hutton also published an Energy Bill signalling greater deployment of renewable energy and increased investment in carbon capture and storage as well as offshore gas infrastructure.
If you set your face against new nuclear in Scotland, you have to explain how we are going to provide that 40% of electricity David CairnsScotland Office ministerIf you set your face against new nuclear in Scotland, you have to explain how we are going to provide that 40% of electricity David CairnsScotland Office minister
But, re-stating the Scottish Government's opposition to new nuclear power stations, Mr Swinney insisted the 92% of the energy used north of the border came from non-nuclear sources. He said: "The government believes it is in the public interest that new nuclear power stations should have a role to play in this country's future energy mix alongside other low-carbon sources; that it would be in the public interest to allow energy companies the option of investing in new nuclear power stations; and that the government should take active steps to open up the way to the construction of new nuclear power stations."
"We don't have an energy gap to fill for some considerable time," he told BBC Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme. But, re-stating the Scottish Government's opposition to new nuclear power stations, Mr Swinney insisted that 92% of the energy used north of the border came from non-nuclear sources.
"We don't have an energy gap to fill for some considerable time," he told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme.
"Let's invest in safe and sustainable measures of electricity generation, rather than investing in a nuclear set-up which is very expensive, which we still don't know what to do for safe disposal of the waste, which will burden consumers with enormous decommissioning costs.""Let's invest in safe and sustainable measures of electricity generation, rather than investing in a nuclear set-up which is very expensive, which we still don't know what to do for safe disposal of the waste, which will burden consumers with enormous decommissioning costs."
Scotland Office minister David Cairns said that 40% of domestic electricity consumption came from the country's two nuclear stations at Hunterston and Torness.Scotland Office minister David Cairns said that 40% of domestic electricity consumption came from the country's two nuclear stations at Hunterston and Torness.
"The challenge is that if you set your face against new nuclear in Scotland, you have to explain how we are going to provide that 40% of electricity," he said."The challenge is that if you set your face against new nuclear in Scotland, you have to explain how we are going to provide that 40% of electricity," he said.
"You can't get that just from renewable sources - they are intermittent by nature.""You can't get that just from renewable sources - they are intermittent by nature."