Austria seeks to pull plug on EU's support for clean-energy nuclear deal in UK

In a landmark decision, the European Commission (EC) has given the green light for construction of what is set to be the first nuclear power plant to be built in the UK for nearly 25 years. The UK government, indeed all major political parties in the country, support an ambitious nuclear energy 'revival' to replace ageing reactors and build a fleet of new units to meet increasing energy demand, improve security of energy supply and cut emissions in line with international commitments. The EC's involvement in the UK's plans was to consider the incentives and support that the UK government had said it would be prepared to give the EDF-led consortium behind plans to build the Hinkley Point C two-unit EPR plant in Somerset. However, despite such a thorough analysis of the terms of support offered to the project by the UK, the EC's decision to support the project could now be facing a legal challenge from Austria.