SNP Conference has today overwhelmingly demanded that Westminster abandons plans to provide any subsidies for a new generation of nuclear energy.
Major renewable energy companies have signalled major concerns that money will be diverted from the renewables sector to meet the spiralling predicted costs of a new generation of nuclear energy, as part of Westminster reforms to Renewable Obligation Certificates.
Recent days have seen the announcement of a £103 million fund to attract more private investment in Scotland’s growing renewables sector.
The same resolution also saw conference give its enthusiastic backing to the Scottish Government’s ambitious target of generating the equivalent of 100% of energy demand from renewable sources by 2020.
Commenting, SNP MSP John Wilson said:
“I am delighted that conference has stated its full-throated opposition to providing subsidies to the nuclear industry at the expense of renewables.
“The renewable energy industry is already delivering thousands of jobs and millions of pounds of investment, and will continue to expand in years to come.
“To put that at risk in order to throw money into the black-hole that new nuclear energy is increasingly becoming would be foolishness of the worst kind.
“The SNP has made this call loudly and clearly: There must be no public or consumer subsidy of any kind for the nuclear industry.
“The view of the Scottish Government and indeed Scotland’s Parliament as a whole on nuclear is absolutely clear. Scotland simply doesn’t want or need dangerous and unnecessary new nuclear power stations, with soaring decommissioning costs and the unresolved problem of storage of radioactive waste that burdens future generations for thousands of years.”