Nuclear power should be among the options the cabinet is prepared to consider to ensure future power supplies. This is the recommendation the government’s socio-economic advisory body SER is expected to announce on Friday, says ANP news service.

The cabinet should review the expansion of nuclear energy in two years’ time when it evaluates its climate policy, says ANP, quoting the SER report.
The Netherlands currently has one nuclear power plant which provides around 4% of total domestic electricity production.
The SER’s advice was postponed at the last minute last week because of disagreements with the environmental lobby who were involved in formulating the recommendations. They see no reason to ask the cabinet to review its stance on nuclear power, ANP said on Thursday.
The cabinet manifesto states that no new nuclear power plants would be built in this government term.
There are differing views within the SER on the issue of nuclear waste and security. Nevertheless it will advise the government to look equally seriously at all the options for electricity production in 2010, says ANP. This must be done on the basis of criteria such as reliability environmental impact, security and affordability.
In a reaction to the SER advice, Natuur en Milieu en Milieudefensie told ANP that the additional information attached to the report indicates considerable division. ‘Employers remain committed to nuclear power but the unions and environmental organisations do not consider it safe or sustainable’.
The environmental groups only have an advisory role on the nuclear power report.