Peter Black and Glyn Davies comment on Plaid's conversion from an anti- to a pro-nuclear party. What concerns me about Wylfa is that an irreversible decision to go ahead with a nuclear replacement will be made when the main reason for the generator, the aluminium smelter, will already be running down.
I do not share the quasi-religious objection to nuclear power of my party and (pre-Ieuan leadership) Plaid Cymru. However, I have consistently called for it to be costed on the same basis as other sources of electricity. That includes the cost of disposal of waste. There should be no special subsidy.
Wylfa was a special case, because of its implications for employment on the island of Anglesey - but only so long as Anglesey Aluminium could be guaranteed to remain. I hope there will be a continuing commitment on the part of the company, but the delay in authorising a replacement power station, combined with the world-wide recession and consequent decline in demand for metals, must put that in doubt.
2 comments:
I'm very surprised that it was only Wylfa named as a site in Wales, there's plenty of brown field sites along the M4 corridor, the former Corus site in Margam for example.
There has been a big enough row about the wood-burning power-station; think of the reaction to plans for a nuclear facility. Don't forget that Labour holds the seat containing Margam, whereas Plaid has Ynys Môn.
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