Highlands and Islands MSP Donald Cameron has said that the SNP’s “outdated” rejection of nuclear power is a blow against attempts to achieve net-zero and could cost Scotland hundreds of jobs.
The Scottish Conservative MSP commented after the UK Government committed to investing in a new generation of nuclear power stations as part of its energy strategy, even though the SNP-Green Scottish Government is refusing to allow any to be sited in Scotland.
He said: “We stand to lose hundreds of well-paid jobs due to the SNP’s outdated policy on nuclear energy.
“If we are to achieve net-zero we require a mix of carbon-free energy sources, and nuclear is vital because it provides a base-load when renewables, such as wind and solar, are not available.
“The new generation of small nuclear stations could utilise the skills and experience of the many people who work in the energy sector across the Highlands and Islands, as well as the transmission infrastructure which has been installed in recent years.
“The SNP’s policy means that we will end up importing nuclear-generated energy from south of the border through the grid, while we lose out on the jobs and investment which will come from the new generation of power stations.
“Sadly, as Scotland’s remaining nuclear stations are decommissioned we are also likely to lose the skilled workers who will have to relocate to stay in the industry.”
