Second UK Energy Consultation Headed for Meltdown

"We are profoundly concerned that the government's approach was designed to provide particular and limiting answers," announced a spokesperson for the British nuclear consultation group. The independent group of energy economists and nuclear advisers condemned the British government's second attempt at developing a national energy policy, saying that "the government's plans to force through a new generation of nuclear power stations" is "undemocratic and possibly illegal," reported John Vidal. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government had been preparing to announce "a major expansion of nuclear power," which could result in 20 new nuclear reactors. The consultation process included meetings and thousands of public comments, but environmental groups say "the questions [asked] were loaded and the information presented biased and inaccurate." A complaint was also filed against the market research firm involved. Greenpeace won a court decision against the British government's first energy consultation, but will wait for its response to the new criticism before launching another legal challenge.