The Institution of Civil Engineers

Letter to the Times, 6 January 2005

Sir, We strongly welcome the Prime Minister’s review of UK energy policy. In particular, we urge the Government not to delay decisions that might prevent nuclear power remaining an integral part of the UK’s future energy mix, since we do not believe there are any technical or safety reasons why it should not do so. Besides reducing CO2 emissions, a new generation of nuclear power stations could enhance security of energy supply. However, given the ten to fifteen-year lead time required for new nuclear power stations to come online, it is now imperative that the Government clarifies its policy and the regulatory framework to provide a stable background for future investment within the energy industry, and that a cross-party consensus is reached since the timeframe over which such investments are analysed spans several parliaments.

KEITH READ Director-general, Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology DR ALF ROBERTS Chief Executive, Institution of Electrical Engineers TOM FOULKES Director-General, Institution of Civil Engineers SIR MICHAEL MOORE Chief Executive Institution of Mechanical Engineers PETER WASON Chief Executive, Institution of Incorporated Engineers DR KEITH EATON Chief Executive, Institution of Structural Engineers [[1]]