Britain's plans: Whether we like it or not, Britain's plans to build a new generation of nuclear power plants to replace its ageing Magnox reactors will give a new lease of life to Sellafield. But we also stand to benefit from this nuclear-generated electricity through an interconnector across the Irish Sea.
The British government's energy review, published on Tuesday, confirmed that nuclear energy is back on the agenda. However, private sector promoters will be required not only to fund the construction and operation of new plants but to cover long-term decommissioning and radioactive waste management costs.
Given that British taxpayers will have to fork out €82 billion to write off the nuclear industry's existing liabilities, it seems unlikely there will be a rush to take up the new terms; they will become attractive only if oil prices double and the value of carbon in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme recovers from a low of €15 per tonne.
But nuclear power is not the only item on the menu. The energy review also pledged to boost the government's target for renewables such as wind power from 15 to 20 per cent and also laid emphasis on the development of "clean coal" technology and the need for more energy efficiency in homes and businesses.
At the root of the latest review is a deep concern in Whitehall that Britain should not become over-dependent on any single source of energy - particularly imported gas. Long-term energy security is the government's objective, preferably achieved in ways that would also help cut greenhouse gas emissions. However, what worries those opposed to nuclear power is that the new reliance on this macho technology could undermine investment in the less "sexy" areas of renewables and energy efficiency - quite apart from multiplying potential terrorist targets as well as the risks of radioactive discharges to the environment.