LONDON, June 14 (UPI) -- London is close to finishing its list of new nuclear power stations and remains committed to renewable energy goals for 2020, the British energy minister said.
British Energy Minister Charles Hendry told delegates at the CBI Energy conference in London that his government was committed to including nuclear energy in a low-carbon energy mix.
"I can confirm today that we are close to finalizing the NPS (nuclear power stations) and will publish them very shortly, so that they can be put to MPs for approval before the parliamentary recess," he was quoted by the Platts news service as saying.
Nuclear energy is becoming controversial in the European community in the wake of the Japanese nuclear disaster spawned by a magnitude-9 earthquake in March. Germany made moves to curtail nuclear energy and Italian voters passed a similar measure Monday.
Hendry added that London was committed to getting 15 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2020.
"We are committed to meeting this and in doing so bring a massive boost to the U.K.'s manufacturing industries. But we are not just about setting and following targets for the sake of it," he was quoted as saying. "We need a vision to get us there that provides certainty and clarity for potential investors."
