The nuclear option

Concern about global warming and increased prices for fossil fuels and a potential energy gap have combined to change the political climate on nuclear energy at Westminster, but brought a new stand-off with Holyrood. The Labour government's green light for a third generation of nuclear power stations nevertheless leaves some serious long-term issues unresolved. In Scotland, the SNP government's refusal to allow any new nuclear power stations, although previously welcoming a five-year extension of Hunterston B to 2016, leaves a potential gap when Torness reaches the end of its lifespsan in 2023.