Meeting the Energy Challenge

The UK faces a huge challenge to ensure it has secure and affordable supplies of energy from sources which tackle climate change.

Our Nuclear Consultation Response [PDF]

EDF Energy nuclear submission summary [PDF]

Within ten years, if nothing is done, there will not be enough power stations or other ways of generating electricity left to meet the country's demands.

A number of coal- and oil-fired power stations will not meet new emission controls and will close. In addition, many of the UK's existing nuclear power stations will close between now and 2016 simply as they reach the end of their lives.

We must act to address this generation gap in a way that also contributes to tackling climate change. The gap, challenging as it is, also provides a fantastic opportunity.

At EDF Energy we believe there is no single solution to this energy gap; the answer lies in a diverse mix of generation including renewables, clean coal, gas and new nuclear as well as greater energy efficiency.

We know we must invest in new electricity generating capacity. If, as a country, we can make the right choices about what form of generation is built we can use this investment cycle to lock in low carbon generation for decades to come.

In Our Climate Commitments, we laid the groundwork for transforming our business to tackle climate change. We have committed to reduce the carbon intensity of our electricity generation activities by 60% by 2020. The planned reduction is part of the biggest package of environmental initiatives launched by any major British company.

As part of our commitment to a low carbon future, we have said we are interested in investing in 4 new nuclear plants in the UK. EDF Energy and our affiliates will be investing in 1,000MW of UK renewable energy production by 2012. We have recently received consent for a 90MW offshore windfarm at Redcar on Teesside.

These web pages set out how a diverse mix of generation technologies, coupled with more efficient use of energy, can address the energy challenges the UK faces. At EDF Energy we are committed to taking action now which will benefit us all for decades to come.

Vincent de Rivaz
CEO EDF Energy