Sir, – Successive governments have been woefully negligent in researching and communicating the possible benefits of the small nuclear reactors likely to be coming on stream toward the end of this decade.
Belated removal, now, of the two legal barriers to consideration of nuclear energy would be a step toward honest political and public debate on how to decarbonise our society effectively. We need to deal with this political obstruction now, then we can concentrate on increasing public understanding and support for replacement of high-carbon gas with a proportion of low-carbon nuclear on the grid.
The very fact that nuclear was on the way, as an alternative low-carbon source of energy, would be likely to change many investment decisions; small modular reactors would produce low-carbon energy as a regular and reliable replacement for natural gas, which we certainly cannot say for wind or solar energy. – Yours, etc,
Dr ANNE BAILY,
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Carrick-on-Suir,
Co Tipperary.