Britain’s energy plans: focus on nuclear and renewable power

Britain's 23 nuclear power stations supply around 20 percent of the country's electricity, but all but one are due to be closed down by 2023.

Photo: Britain’s energy plans: focus on nuclear and renewable power

The second plant at Sizewell, in eastern England, is the exception. Commissioned in 1995, it is the last nuclear power station to be built in Britain and is being looked at as a model for future stations.

Blair has claimed that without new nuclear power plants, Britain will rely on gas for 55 percent of its energy needs by 2020 - up from 38 percent currently. As much as 90 percent of that gas would be imported, he said, leaving Britain dangerously dependent on imports from the Middle East, Central Asia and Russia, the AP reports.

But government advisers on sustainable energy, lawmakers and many environmentalists challenge Blair's view, claiming he has failed to secure support for a new nuclear program and has dismissed potential alternatives. They, like Blair, are worried about tackling climate change, the AP reports.