Published: November 08, 2011
Energy Fair Lawyers Say Proposed Nuclear Subsidies in UK May Be Unlawful
Lawyers working with the campaigning group Energy Fair say that some existing and proposed new subsidies for nuclear power in the UK may be unlawful under EU laws designed to promote fair competition between businesses.
A formal complaint about those subsidies is now being prepared for submission to the European Commission.
Research by Energy Fair has shown that there are 11 existing or proposed new subsidies for the nuclear industry. Withdrawal of any one of them, via the formal complaint or via political action, is likely to make new nuclear power plants uncompetitive.
"Our research is in line with what others have been saying" says Dr Gerry Wolff, Coordinator of the Energy Fair group. "MPs have already raised concerns about provisions in the recent Finance Act that will produce windfall profits for the nuclear industry. The Government itself says that the industry will benefit by £50 million per year, and calculations by WWF and Greenpeace show that the subsidy could be as much as £3.43 billion between 2013 and 2026".
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