The boss at one of Scotland’s top energy companies has today hit out at UK Government plans to fix the electricity market in favour of nuclear power.

Ian Marchant, chief executive of Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), said measures to support the UK’s nuclear power operators would risk damaging the electricity market. SSE is expected to publish a detailed paper on energy later today.

Last month an influential committee of MPs warned the UK Government to be 'up-front' about the subsidies it is planning to give new nuclear power.

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WWF Scotland’s Director, Dr Richard Dixon, said: “Ian Marchant is absolutely right that the market should not be fixed in favour of nuclear power, especially when this will be at the expense of renewable energy schemes and to the detriment of Scotland.

“Nuclear power is dirty, dangerous and ridiculously expensive and is simply not needed to keep the lights on. Ministers should be taking steps to end our reliance on both nuclear and fossil-fuels, not finding ways to fix the market or change the rules in their favour.

“Support for reducing energy demand and boosting clean renewables is the only sensible energy policy to be following. The whole of the UK should be following Scotland’s aim of generating 100 per cent of its electricity from renewables.”

(GK/KMcA)