The Ipswich MP says we don't have to choose between nuclear power and being green
It comes following the government announcement to invest £14.2 billion in the nuclear power plant Sizewell C
Ipswich MP Jack Abbott has welcomed the Government’s £14.2 billion investment in the Sizewell C nuclear power station, calling it a vital part of the UK’s green energy transition and a major boost for Suffolk.
However, campaigners in the region disagree, saying it will damage the local environment and the local economy.
"This isn’t an either-or"
Following the announcement, Abbott stressed that choosing nuclear energy does not mean turning away from renewables.
“This isn’t an either-or. We need an energy transition that has offshore and onshore wind, that has solar, that retrofits homes and reduces their carbon emissions, but it also needs new nuclear,” he said.
Abbott described the project as essential to the UK’s long-term energy security and emissions goals, particularly with rising demand expected over the coming decades.
“We haven’t built a new nuclear power station since 1995, when Sizewell B was built. Although Hinkley’s on the way, we desperately need this new fleet to generate the sort of power needs that we’re going to have to see into the 2030s and beyond.”
What green initiatives are the government doing?
He also pointed to wider government efforts, including home energy upgrades, aimed at reducing costs and carbon footprints.
“Our government is also making enormous investments into a Warm Homes Plan, which will mean that people live in far better quality homes when it comes to energy. It will literally reduce people’s bills by hundreds of pounds.”
Locally, Abbott said the Sizewell C investment will bring long-term benefits to the Suffolk economy.
“You can’t overstate what that will mean for the children and young people growing up in Ipswich and across Suffolk, who will now have the opportunity to go into skilled, secure, well-paid employment.”
He added:
“This is a massive, massive decision for energy security, for green jobs, and for Suffolk.”