Business secretary visits Washington for meetings with US energy companies

Business secretary John Hutton is meeting with US energy companies about investing in new nuclear power stations in the UK.

Hutton is on a two-day visit to the US to sign up to the international Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) to promote secure nuclear energy worldwide.

During his visit to Washington, the business secretary has set up a number of meetings with US energy firms, the government has confirmed.

The UK is the 21st country to join the GNEP, which allows members to share experience on responsible nuclear development.

Discussions on issues such as infrastructure assessments, security and safety requirements have been identified to help developing countries identify whether nuclear power generation is suitable for them and how to proceed with its implementation.

Hutton commented: “The UK shares in the vision of improved non-proliferation and nuclear waste management and recognises the real benefits of initiatives such as GNEP to implement the right solutions and further develop international standards and best practice.

“With a new generation of nuclear energy now set to be part of the UK's future energy mix, the UK is in position to play a role in this global initiative.”