Global energy consumption grew strongly by 5.6% in 2010 to 12bn tonnes of oil equivalent (toe). It was the biggest annual growth since 1973…

Civic-minded people interested in energy use and the impact it has for our economy and environment. We present the facts about nuclear energy.

Nuclear power is the only form of electricity generation that meets all the Government’s objectives: security of low carbon supply at affordable cost. Without it, there is a risk sooner or later of a shortage of electricity supply that would have disastrous consequences for the economy.

A modern economy – indeed, a civilised society – depends on adequate supplies of energy and especially electricity when they are needed. It cannot function without them. And for the last 70 years or so Britain has had the good fortune to have had 99% reliability in its power supplies.

1 – Nuclear power is safe Not a single death reported from a nuclear accident in the UK in more than 50 years’ operation. The safety system worked at Three Mile Island in the USA and the community was not affected. The Chernobyl disaster caused the deaths of some 56 people but its reactor had already been widely criticised in […]

The only certainty in the energy field is that prices will continue to go up. Already about 6m are living in what is described as fuel poverty – that is, more than 10 per cent of their income is taken by energy bills – and British industry regularly warns that intensive energy users are being priced out of the country.

Britain has known for several years that electricity supply was likely to be very tight over the next 10-15 years.

This briefing note is one in a series prepared by Supporters of Nuclear Energy (SONE), in consultation with scientists and engineers, to bring some facts and perspective to energy‐related issues that are being freely discussed by the public. One of these is the Government’s aim drastically to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to combat global warming. Under pressure from “Greens”, […]