In Nuclear Power? No Point! Johnson argues that the 4% of power provided by the UK’s nuclear capacity is far less than could be saved by energy-efficiency measures that would cut people’s fuel bills.
He also claims that the time needed to construct a new generation of nuclear power stations means they will not help the fight against climate change because major CO2 reductions are needed in the next ten years.
Johnson, who is currently chair of the London Assembly and Green Party candidate for Lewisham Deptford, said today: “The industry that was going to produce electricity ‘too cheap to meter’ has landed us with massive costs for handling its dangerous waste. Now the nuclear industry can’t even give us a reliable quote for the cost of apower station. The current projects in Finland and France are experiencing safety concerns, long delays and big overspends.
“There’s no point expecting nuclear to solve the climate crisis, because new stations couldn’t be built fast enough to help achieve the big CO2 reductions we need to make in the next ten years – which mature renewables could deliver.
“There is no point even considering nuclear power, because demand-reduction measures could easily save far more power than nuclear could generate. And the latest studies argue convincingly that green energy sources with a European smart grid could provide all the power we need.”
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