We can't wait until all the lights go off
I AM increasingly concerned about the delay in the construction of Hinkley Point power station in Somerset. As our nation continues to expand in population, and if we come out of this current recession quickly, so will demand for electricity increase, yet there is a severe shortage of generating plant available to satisfy demand as old polluting coal-fired stations are closed down. The Government says that Hinkley C will be the first of a new
generation of power stations that will service demand in the years to
come. Fine, yet there are one or two snags that should be causing First, the commencement date keeps getting postponed - the latest information is that there will be a statement in September. Secondly, the appointed contractor, EDF, is building a similar station in France, but the new and innovative generating equipment therein is not working. Thirdly, already our Government has agreed a price for power generated at about twice the current rate and this will have to be passed on the consumer in the future, which in turn will fuel inflation. I remember only too well the three day week of 1974, when my factory was forbidden to work for more than 24 hours a week. I certainly do not wish to see this happen again due to lack of power, yet Government seems to be far more concerned about the forthcoming EU referendum than the practical requirements of our nation. The world has to look at its natural resources to generate power, namely sun, wind and tide. All are free and it just needs scientists to harness them, thus at a stroke ceasing to rely on coal and oil, which are pollutants. I have always believed that the harnessing of the Severn Estuary, with some of the highest tides in the world would make a very valuable contribution to solving this nation's power needs. Scrapping HS2 would fund the project. Action to safeguard our power future is needed now. To wait and hope could be disastrous. Russell Luckock is chairman of Birmingham pressings firm AE Harris Credit:
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