IEA Director of Public Policy and Communications Matthew Lesh has been quoted in The Daily Express warning that red tape is preventing the UK from building more nuclear power capacity, driving up energy bills and increasing dependence on imported fossil fuels.

Matthew said:

“The last nuclear reactor to be completed in the United Kingdom was Sizewell B power station almost 30 years ago. It’s therefore no surprise nuclear electricity output has reached the lowest in many decades.

“The environmental assessment for Sizewell C was 44,260 pages, and the planning application was over 4,000 documents. We are paying for this red tape today in higher energy prices and greater dependence on imported dirty gas and coal.

“New projects, including Sizewell C and small modular nuclear reactors, are the great hope for nuclear power. However, this new capacity is not scheduled to come online until well into the next decade.”

Read the full article here.