UK Nuclear Policy and the New Agency - August 2002

UK Nuclear Policy and the New Agency - August 2002

The UK government has announced its intention to establish a Nuclear Liabilities Management Authority in the fall of 2003, to be responsible for the dismantling of aging nuclear power plants and the disposal of spent nuclear fuel by the government. This is intended to strengthen safety management of existing nuclear facilities and reduce future environmental risks. Meanwhile, in the U.S., the government has decided to provide subsidies to three major electric power companies, including Dominion Corporation, to prepare for the construction of new nuclear power plants. This is said to be part of a move to re-evaluate nuclear power generation in order to reduce CO2 emissions and meet increasing demand for electricity. However, while Sweden, Belgium, and other countries have adopted policies to phase out nuclear power, securing an alternative power source to nuclear power remains a challenge. These differences in energy policies among countries could have a significant impact on
the European energy market in the future.

The UK government subsequently established the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) on April 1, 2005. The establishment of the NDA was based on the Energy Act of 2004, which took over the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and management of radioactive waste from the British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). The establishment of the NDA was aimed at the safe decommissioning of nuclear power plants and the reduction of their environmental impact, and it marked a new phase in the UK's nuclear policy.

In the U.S., on the other hand, the Bush Jr. administration in 2002 announced the "2010 Plan for Nuclear Power," a policy aimed at reviving nuclear power. Under this plan, subsidies and tax incentives were provided to electric utilities, and preparations were made for the construction of new nuclear power plants. These policy differences are based on the energy needs and environmental policy policies of each country, and they highlight the situation in which each country is seeking to utilize nuclear power in different ways.

**Related Information**.
- Details of the Establishment of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)
- Data on Nuclear Decommissioning of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency
- Report on the Bush Administration's 2010 Plan for Nuclear Power