Nuclear boss wants to cut family fuel aid

[bananas]

Source: The Independent

The boss of a company set to build two nuclear reactors in Somerset has been demanding cuts to renewable energy subsidies and to help for people in fuel poverty while quietly lobbying the European Commission for financial help for new nuclear power stations.

Areva, which is part owned by the French state, has signed a contract to build nuclear reactors for EDF, another French company, at Hinkley Point. If it goes ahead, it will be the first new nuclear power plant in Britain for a generation. Areva already has hundreds of engineers working on the project.

EDF and the Government are locked in negotiations over how much the firm will be paid for the electricity it produces at Hinkley. Even though the Coalition Agreement states that new nuclear power stations will only go ahead if "they receive no public subsidy", the Government is offering to guarantee a minimum price for the electricity produced for up to 40 years. Critics say this amounts to a subsidy.

Until now, it was widely assumed that EDF was leading the call for subsidies for new nuclear. But a new document reveals that last November, Areva's chief executive officer, Luc Oursel, lobbied the European Environment Commissioner, Connie Hedagaard, for financial help for the construction of new nuclear power stations. He asked the commission and European Central Bank to give "credit guarantees … to be used as a catalyst to ease the financing of low-carbon technologies", such as nuclear. His letter was obtained by the NuclearSpin website under European Freedom of Information laws. Mr Oursel also called for the "progressive removal" of "a stack of ad hoc tariff distortions" – such as "subsidies for renewables (and) energy poverty". Asking for energy poverty payments to be cut is a world away from the company's image, which was bolstered last month by news that Usain Bolt would run at the firm's annual athletics meeting in the Stade de France this year.

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Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/nuclear-boss-wants-to-cut-family-fuel-aid-8537553.html

[Turbineguy]

1. Those republicans

they seem to breed like rats.

[WRH2]

2. Renewable energy tax credits are locked down.

by the house of rep's.

[awoke_in_2003]

7. The US House of Reps...

cannot lock down tax credits in Britain, where the proposed power plant is to be built.

[bananas]

3. Related article from February

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/feb/20/rwe-npower-nuclear-subsidies-warning

RWE boss warns over nuclear plant subsidies

CEO's concern that consumers could face 'unnecessarily high bills' comes as industry staff are seconded to ministries

Terry Macalister and Richard Cookson
The Guardian, Wednesday 20 February 2013

RWE npower, one of the big six power suppliers, has warned ministers not to seal a long-term subsidy deal with the nuclear industry behind the backs of consumers and saddle them with "unnecessarily high bills" for the next 40 years.

The warning from Paul Massara, RWE UK's new chief executive, comes as the Guardian can reveal that up to 15 private sector executives with links to the atomic sector have been seconded to government departments or other public sector roles.

"We are very concerned that decisions currently being taken around guaranteed revenue from new nuclear power stations in return for their delivery could force the next three generations of British consumers to pay an unexpected and perhaps unnecessarily high bill for the next 40 years, especially given the track record of delivery of nuclear power stations," said Massara.

<snip>

A Freedom of Information request undertaken by the campaign group, NuclearSpin.org, showed at least 15 people working for the nuclear energy industry or its consultants have been seconded to areas responsible for policy or regulation, some being paid for by the taxpayer.

<snip>

[midnight]

4. K&R

[kristopher]

5. Good information, thanks bananas.

The UK went from being on a strong trajectory to build out renewable energy to fumbling around subsuming all efforts to the goal of serving the nuclear industry. It is a case study in the duplicitous machinations of the nuclear industry and the incredible lure that centralized energy sources hold for conservative governments.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. Proof once again that it's cheaper to run it at cost than at a profit....

If the government ran all the power than there would be no need to pay some already rich guy enough to make him happy.