SCOTLAND’S BRIGHT FUTURE AND JOBS LIES WITH CLEAN, GREEN ENERGY

SCOTLAND’S BRIGHT FUTURE AND JOBS LIES WITH CLEAN, GREEN ENERGY

MILIBAND’S FAILED POLICY BOGGED DOWN – NO PROGRESS AND NO JOBS

Responding to the energy national policy statements in the House of Commons today (Monday) on UK Government proposals to reform planning laws and fast-track a new generation of nuclear reactors, SNP Westminster Energy spokesperson, Mike Weir MP, said the plans validated the Scottish Government’s energy strategy.

Mr Weir said:

“Ed Miliband’s cheerleading for the nuclear industry is well known, but reforming planning laws so that local objections can be ignored takes Labour’s obsession to a whole new level.

“Right now Scotland is capitalising on our vast clean, green energy potential, instead of following London Labour’s blind faith in costly, dirty, dangerous and unreliable nuclear power. Labour must recognise that there is no appetite and absolutely no need for new nuclear power stations north of the Border – with their horrendous waste problems and soaring decommissioning costs.

“A majority of MSPs across a range of parties oppose new nuclear power, and Labour themselves are split from top to bottom in Scotland on the issue.

“Evidence uncovered by Greenpeace has shown that waste from the new European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) in Finland will be up to seven times more hazardous than waste produced by existing nuclear reactors.

“The reality is that the UK Government is bogged down in nuclear planning issues and making NO progress and creating NO jobs, while the Scottish Government is getting on with the job of investing in the technologies of the future, and supporting thousands of energy jobs.

“Scotland can generate up to ten times our peak electricity demand from clean, green energy. Scotland is ahead of the game and ahead of our targets on renewables – which is great news for Scotland's economy. And we are making an international contribution to tackling global warming with our world-leading Climate Change Act – which is great news for the environment.

“With 25 per cent of Europe’s wind energy potential, including massive off shore as well as onshore wind power capabilities, a quarter of Europe’s tidal resource, and huge potential from clean coal and carbon capture, these are the real economic and employment opportunities for Scotland. The Scottish Government has already announced plans to take advantage of these unique strengths by creating 16,000 green energy related jobs in Scotland over the next decade.

“The view of the Scottish Government and indeed Scotland’s Parliament as a whole on nuclear is absolutely clear. Scotland simply doesn’t want or need dangerous and unnecessary new nuclear power stations, with soaring decommissioning costs and the unresolved problem of storage of radioactive waste that burdens future generations for thousands of years.”