The British government has set out radical plans to secure energy supplies and fight global warming, calling for new nuclear power plants, more renewable energy and less wasteful use of energy.
The plan, which is strongly supported by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, is likely to be endorsed by Chancellor Gordon Brown who will take over as prime minister by the end of next month.
Britain's oil and gas reserves from the North Sea are dwindling and it is aware that Russia, which supplies 40% of Europe's gas, disrupted supplies last year.
It also wants to meet its carbon emission cut targets.
'If nuclear is excluded there is every chance that its place would be taken by gas and coal generation which of course emits carbon,' Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling told parliament, announcing his Energy White Paper.
He added: 'I am quite clear in my mind that it is important that we have a mix of energy supply. That we do not become overly dependent on imported gas.'
Mr Darling said the new measures would save up to 33 million tonnes of carbon by 2020 - equivalent to the emissions from every road vehicle in the country.
The government wants to triple electricity from renewable sources and to boost energy efficiency.
The European Union aims to get 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, and a draft law going through the British parliament calls for the country to cut emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide by 60% by 2050.
But Mr Blair and many of his ministers insist Britain must have a new generation of nuclear power plants to replace the 20% of electric power its ageing network provides.
The White Paper covers all the energy options and makes it clear that the government wants nuclear power - to the outrage of many environmentalists.
