Last week’s Poll: what next for Hinkley Point C?

The story of Hinkley Point C looks to be developing into one of the most complex in Britain's long history of nuclear power, and is still very much unresolved a week after we put this question to our readership - not for the first time, and we very much doubt whether it will be the last. Of the 624 readers who responded to the poll, the largest group, 29 per cent, thought the Hinkley Point C project should be rethought to lower costs, while 26 per cent thought it should go ahead to ensure supplies of low-carbon power. There was then a large gap to the next group, the nuclear opponents, who picked the option saying nuclear was too expensive and should be scrapped; while the option to support the alternative nuclear technology proposed by Horizon nuclear power gathered 16 per cent of the support. A further 11 per cent declined to pick an option.

The lively comments section touched on options for small modular nuclear based on submarine reactor technology; the pros and cons of reactivating coal-fired plants with and without CCS; development of tidal lagoon power and the effects of privatisation. We would, of course, still like to hear your opinions on this subject.