Top executives of many of the world's largest electricity companies today offered a collective statement on nuclear energy, saying its limitation threatens to raise the cost of electricity significantly, reduce the world's ability to lessen greenhouse gas emissions and undermine the reliability of power supplies.
After a meeting in New York of the Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership, the 13 firms unanimously advocated "a balance of advanced coal, large hydro and other renewables, natural gas, nuclear and energy efficiency."
"By limiting the use of nuclear power, the Chairmen are concerned that short and long term impacts will occur in certain countries including significantly higher costs, less CO2 free emission capacity and risks to reliability."
The statement was unanimously agreed by:
American Electric Power (USA)
Duke Energy (USA)
Comisión Federal de Electricidad (Mexico)
Electricité de France (France)
Eletrobras (Brazil)
Enel S.p.A. (Italy)
Eskom (South Africa)
Hydro-Québec (Canada)
Kansai Electric Power Company Inc. (Japan)
RusHydro (Russia)
RWE AG (Germany)
State Grid Corporation of China (China)
Tokyo Electric Power (Japan)
In full, it reads:
Leaders of major international power companies strongly assert that the use of a wide mix of generation of electricity and maximizing the market function of the transmission grids are essential.
Today the 13 Chairmen of the Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership met to discuss the need for clean energy and the trend observed in some areas of the world to review nuclear strategies, by taking it out completely from the mix of technologies that provide affordable, reliable, clean power.
The Chairmen emphasize the need for a balance of advanced coal, large hydro and other renewables, natural gas, nuclear and energy efficiency that provide energy security, jobs, economic growth and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
By limiting the use of nuclear power, the Chairmen are concerned that short and long term impacts will occur in certain countries including significantly higher costs, less CO2 free emission capacity and risks to reliability.