The British media has become so impoverished that it can no longer be relied on to do a decent job of challenging the nonsense purveyed by politicians, government officials, the nuclear industry and others about nuclear power. As an antidote to this I will be publishing an occasional blog that decodes some of the more egregious nonsense inflicted on us all.
Journalists who should know better are still repeating the non fact that Britain’s existing fleet of nuclear reactors are all about to be closed. This is not true. The latest offender to catch my eye is the Telegraph’s Emily Gosden. Last week she wrote that EDF’s ‘existing fleet of nuclear plants are mostly due to cease generating by early next decade.’ She is clearly not reading EDF’s press releases. They announced ages ago that they expect to get a life extension of their AGR reactors for an average of seven years. Life extension for some of them has already been granted. There is nothing to stop them seeking further life extensions after that. It is already clear that EDF will be generating electricity from some of their ‘existing fleet’ until well after 2030.
April 21st 2013