Greenpeace wins nuclear consultation case

Greenpeace has won a High Court case against the government, following the government's decision to back a new generation of nuclear power stations, a key element of its Energy Review.

A High Court judged ruled that that the consultation process undertaken last year was ‘seriously flawed’ and ‘procedurally unfair’ and granted Greenpeace an order quashing the review as ‘unlawful’.

'This was a comment on a political process and not of the feasibility of nuclear power,’ said Dr Mark Levy, KNOO Consortium Research Manager, Imperial College London. ‘It is vital that the public should be an informed customer and that long term decisions should be made with public backing. This will only happen if all sides of the argument engage in full, frank and open discussion.

’The debate of new nuclear build still has legs, however if we continue to run away from a decision, we will become more and more reliant upon electricity imports, which is a situation that is not in our nations best interests.'

CBI Director-General Richard Lambert added: 'Energy security is one of the most vital issues facing the country so proper consultation is vital, but so too is early action. One third of our electricity generation needs to be replaced by 2020, so anything that delays the government in providing a clear framework for potential investors risks causing energy shortages that could cost the economy dear. It is not clear how we can meet both our energy needs and our climate change obligations without a continuing role for nuclear power.'

The government remains committed to including nuclear power, saying it has a role to play in securing energy security and cutting emissions. ‘This is why we will press on with publication of the Energy White Paper and why we are confident in the strength of our arguments to engage in further consultation,’ said the DTI in a statement.