Reeves backs £14bn Sizewell C build in push for clean energy and jobs
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Two reasons why the UK has pledged £14b to Sizewell C
- Rachel Reeves has approved £14.2 billion in funding for the Sizewell C nuclear power station, with the aim to enhance UK energy security and cut carbon emissions.
- The Treasury anticipates the project will generate 10,000 jobs, including 1,500 apprenticeships, with £330 million in contracts already signed with local businesses.
- Energy Secretary Ed Miliband views the plant as crucial for a “golden age of clean energy abundance,” reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
- The government plans to invest £2.5 billion over five years in fusion energy research and confirm one of Europe’s first small modular reactor programmes to boost the UK’s nuclear industry.
- Campaigners, such as Alison Downes of Stop Sizewell C, criticise the investment, estimating the project's full cost could reach £40 billion and warning of potential cost overruns and increased consumer bills.