London (Platts)--10Sep2007

UK energy minister Malcolm Wicks is angry with green groups for pulling 
out last minute from the government's consultation process on nuclear new 
build, he told Platts Saturday. 
     The government had organized nine public debates on nuclear power around 
the UK Saturday, with delegates shown videos outlining energy security and 
climate change issues. 
     But while the nuclear industry and business were represented, the 
government had to cut green group Greenpeace's contributions after it decided 
to pull out late Friday, Wicks said. 
     "For an organization that wants its voice heard and its perspective 
brought to bear that does seem a strange strategy but fortunately I am not 
responsible for the mental health of Greenpeace," Wicks said. Greenpeace had 
asked for its contribution to the videos to be cut after it decided not to 
take part, he said. 
     Wicks and a number of delegates at the London event expressed concerns 
that the full picture on policy options for future energy supplies was not 
presented at the event. 
     "I would have thought [Greenpeace] have missed an opportunity and a lot 
of people here were disappointed," Wicks said. "They wanted to hear from the 
green groups and I can't really account for it. There is Greenpeace saying 
that they want a full consultation, they want their voice heard and come the 
crunch they backed away. Why? I don't know."
 
     BACK-UP STRATEGIES PLANNED
     Wicks said that the government was considering other policy options if 
the outcome of the consultation, which ends October 10, did not back new 
nuclear build. 
     He is working with the UK's secretary of state for business, enterprise 
and regulatory reform, John Hutton, on alternative scenarios that could 
include more renewable projects, energy efficiency and clean coal technologies
to make up for a shortfall in nuclear capacity. The giant Severn tidal barrage
scheme is being very seriously looked at, Wicks said. 
     "We have always said that this is a serious consultation and if new 
perspectives are brought to bear on new evidence/new issues the answer could 
be no to nuclear," he said. "Although I hasten to add that our preliminary 
view would be yes. It would take strong arguments to dissuade us." 
     Wicks said the government had "never over-egged" its nuclear analysis, 
but that it may simply be that the UK needed more of the alternative options. 
     Earlier this year the High Court struck down the government's previous 
consultation on nuclear power as flawed, striking a blow to the energy white 
paper--which was delayed--and forcing government to consult again on the 
matter.

---Dominic Maclaine, dominic_maclaine@platts.com