There are strong rumours that Gordon Brown will recognise the dangerous drift in the UK’s energy policy. Commentators think he will come out in favour of a series of new nuclear power stations, and a tidal barrage to generate power across the Severn estuary.

He certainly needs to do something, and quickly. The UK’s energy position is weakening rapidly. Our requirements now outstrip North Sea oil and gas from the UK sector. Our nuclear power stations still generate about one fifth of our electricity, but they are all getting old and in need of closure. Meanwhile President Putin sits astride the energy pipelines to western Europe, ready to turn the tap off if he sees an advantage in doing so. This is no time for the UK to increase its dependence on imported gas from the European mainland, nor from nuclear power generated by France given the shortage of power on the continent.

Some ultra greens seem to oppose all ways of generating electricity. They condemn coal and gas stations because they produce CO2. They condemn nuclear because they do not like it, even though it does not produce CO2. Some even oppose schemes like the Severn barrier and the windmills, developed and invented to meet the green point about using coal and gas. At some point the government has to tell people that we need to build new power facilities if we wish the lights to stay on. The government should aim for diversified sources of power where we do not depend on Russia or the Middle East, involving the market to find the least costly way of achieving the capacity we need.

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