One of Spain’s top business lobby groups called for extending the use of the country’s nuclear plants, that the government plans to start closing down from 2027.
The People’s Party (PP), has pledged to reverse the planned phase-out of the nuclear plants, which generate about a fifth of the country’s electricity. The matter is political as the government led by acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wants to close down these nuclear plants.
This is not the first time PP have said they will reverse the policies. In June, PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo have announced his intention to reverse the planned decommissioning.
“It will be a policy of my government to reverse the planned decommissioning and extend the life of our nuclear power plants,” he said.
Spain’s nuclear plants generate about a fifth of the country’s electricity which is around 21% of the country’s energy, hence PP believes it will lead to an exponential increase in prices if that is to happen.
“Ideological positions should not prevent us from recognising the need to extend the useful life of power plants already installed, which guarantee the stability of the system,” said Manuel Perez-Sala, chairman of business lobby Circulo de Empresarios.
Nuclear plants requires multi-billion euros investments in aging plants, but offers the assurance of stable power, he said at an energy transition event the group held in Madrid.
Extending the life of nuclear plants “is not viable and its cost would necessarily fall on citizens, because it is necessary to guarantee investments in safety,” Acting Energy Minister Teresa Ribera has previously said during an electoral campaign. She supports an energy model that is based on renewable energy instead of nuclear.
