PR:Stop Hinkley Comment on European Commission Go-ahead for £17.6bn Hinkley Deal

STOP HINKLEY

8th October 2014 For Immediate Release

Stop Hinkley Comment on European Commission Go-ahead for £17.6bn Hinkley Deal
The Stop Hinkley Campaign has expressed its extreme disappointment that the European Commission has today decided to approve subsidies of up to £17.6 billion to EDF Energy to build two new nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset.

Stop Hinkley Spokesperson Allan Jeffrey said: "This deal is clearly illegal under European law; it will saddle UK consumers with the bill for paying huge subsidies for decades, and yet there are more cost effective and safer ways of providing low carbon electricity or not using the energy in the first place. It is mind boggling how the UK government managed to convince the Commissioners to go along with this crazy plan without even the pretence of a competitive process."

But the group vowed to continue its campaign to halt EDF Energy’s £16 billion project. The Austrian Government has declared its intention to take the Commission to the European Court of Justice over this decision, which could leave the project in limbo. Legal action would take at least a year to conclude and EDF Energy would have to decide whether or not to risk proceeding with the project in the meantime in case it has to be abandoned if the Austrian appeal is successful. It seems very unlikely that a final investment decision will be taken before the 2015 General Election.

Allan Jeffrey appealed to EDF Energy and the UK Government to spend the next year examining in detail the flurry of recent reports from investment and energy analysts predicting a bright future for solar energy and other renewables as well as energy storage.

"The technology proposed for Hinkley Point C is well past its sell-by-date. It’s time for Somerset to look to the future and develop a locally-controlled sustainable energy industry which doesn’t involve leaving a toxic legacy for our grandchildren’s children and which can tackle climate change and fuel poverty in a much more cost effective way."

END

Stop Hinkley Contacts:
 * Allan Jeffrey, email [mailto:ajjefferyATtalktalkDOTnet ajjeffery AT talktalk DOT net], +44 1278 425451, mob +44 7964376266
 * Roy Pumfrey, email [mailto:royATstophinkleyDOTorg roy AT stophinkley DOT org], phone +44 1278 652089, mob +44 7886028910

source: http://www.stophinkley.org/PressReleases/pr141008.pdf