Press Releases
The New Economics of Energy Security
PRESS RELEASE
7 July 2006
Next week sees the launch of the UK’s Energy Review. This will be the government’s second energy review in three years, and is certain to focus heavily on the use of nuclear energy. As such, the Economic Research Council, Britain’s oldest economic think-tank, has commissioned Sir Bernard Ingham, Margaret Thatcher’s former Chief Press Officer, to put together his thoughts on the benefits of going nuclear. Please find below a quote from his paper, which is entitled, “Nuclear power - the most secure and economic option.”
Sir Bernard Ingham says:
“The British Government does not have the luxury of choice to overlook nuclear power if it really wants greater security of unsubsidised cleaner electricity.”
The second part of the paper focuses on energy security. With the G8 summit beginning on 15 July in St. Petersburg, Professor Colin Robinson and Dr. Eileen Marshall CBE, argue that, “Competitive markets - not governments- enhance energy security.”
Dan Lewis, Editor of this publication and Research Director of the Economic Research Council says:
“Britain desperately needs to re-prioritize its energy debate and focus on energy security. Our declining gas reserves in the North Sea, dwindling coal and nuclear assets and the slow uptake of renewables demand a fresh economics-based assessment of future energy supplies. Unfortunately, the Government, the Opposition and assorted lobbyists focus far too much on futuristic technology and far-off worst-case scenarios of climate change. The issues of energy security and the emerging energy gap however are real and must be addressed now."
