The future of Hinkley is still shrouded in uncertainty, says the region’s Green MEP. Three unions representing workers of EDF, the state owned French company due to build the new nuclear reactors, issued a statement saying that the Brexit vote added new elements of uncertainty to the Hinkley Point project.
Meanwhile, company bosses and the French government have said Britain’s referendum vote was not a barrier to the project and still expect the deal to be finalised in September. Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for the South West, said:
“The Hinkley charade continues and is in as much disarray as ever following the Brexit vote. Unions want out and EDF bosses want in. Following the vote to leave the EU we have entered an era of Plan B’s, so let’s add a Plan B for our energy supply to the list.
“For months I have been calling for a plan based on the region’s huge renewable energy resources, which has the potential to provide more than 100% of the region’s energy needs and create thousands of new jobs. What is needed is political backing for a genuine energy transition away from dirty fossil fuels and dangerous and costly nuclear towards community owned renewables. We will also need an increase in public investment to bring this about as we will need to replace the private investment that will falter due to Brexit.”