Energy Secretary Amber Rudd has come under fire from environmental campaigners after telling the conference earlier that renewable technologies need to "stand on their own two feet". They have accused her of double standards, saying the UK is withdrawing subsidies for wind and solar at a time it is offering huge guarantees for future nuclear plants. But Ms Rudd tells BBC News that nuclear is the "baseload" of the UK's energy supply, providing a fifth of output, and urges opponents to "look again" at the case for building a new generation of nuclear plants. While there are "great opportunities" for wind and solar and the sector is a "great success story" she says their cost has to come down and subsidies must be reduced to ensure people's bills are kept at an affordable level.
If you are going to have a low carbon future, you need to have nuclear as part of the mix."