Vincent de Rivaz, the chief executive of EDF Energy, says that the UK is more likely to build new nuclear power stations under the coalition government, despite the new energy minister’s opposition to atomic power, according to reports in The Sunday Telegraph.
De Rivaz, who leads the French state-owned utility giant’s UK unit, believes the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have provided the political clarity needed for EDF to commit to an investment in nuclear power.
The EDF boss told The Sunday Telegraph that he trusts the new energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne to make sure that nuclear energy is a priority policy. “They have been extremely clear and straightforward regarding their plan to implement a low-carbon economy. There are a lot of incentives that I’m delighted to see. New nuclear will be built.”
The new coalition agreement says it will move to install a floor on carbon allowances that generators have to buy to cover their emissions, which will benefit renewables and nuclear while penalising fossil fuels.
