UK PM says energy prices, environment changed his nuclear stance

London (Platts)--4Jul2006

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has changed his mind in favor of nuclear
power since the government's Energy White Paper was published in 2003, amid
soaring energy prices and increasing environmental concerns, he told a Commons
committee Tuesday.
Blair said that while his stance had shifted in favor of nuclear power,
the government's upcoming energy review would be every bit as "radical" in its
stance on renewables and energy efficiency as it was with nuclear power.
But he denied that he had already made up his mind to push ahead with a
new generation of nuclear power plants before commissioning the government's
new energy review in early 2006, the findings of which are to be published
later this month.
"I believe that, because of the way that the changes have happened, I
couldn't see how we were going to be able to meet our targets both on energy
security and on climate change without going back to the nuclear option," he
said. "But of course if the review were to prove that that would be the wrong
thing to do then that wouldn't be the thing that we do."
"In the end, people have to make their minds up. I know people always
want to take refuge in decision making in the process... Its the answers that
you have to come up with at some point, when you are sitting in my seat
anyway."
There are two things that have pushed energy policy to the top of the
agenda of every single major western country, he told the committee. "One is
the fact that energy prices have something like doubled or trebled in the last
few years. And, if you see what is happening in China and the Chinese economy,
then this is going to become an even bigger issue in the years to come. And
the second thing is climate change."
"Unless someone can show through energy efficiency and renewables you're
going to be able to cure the whole of this problem then I think that nuclear
power goes back on the agenda," he said.
Blair rejected one MP's suggestion that the government's new energy
review, expected this month, was really just a nuclear power review and would
ignore energy efficiency and renewables.
"I think people will be quite surprised at some of its conclusions on
energy efficiency and renewables and will deal with them every bit as
radically as anything to do with nuclear."
Energy has surged to the top of the agenda in most major western
economies as a result of soaring prices and security of supply concerns, the
UK premier said. "It will dominate the G8 that we are going to have in a few
days time," he said. "The reason for that is that things have changed."

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