Slovenian MPs support referendum on new Krsko nuclear plant

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 23 - According to the Slovenian news agency STA, almost all parties in parliament supported the proposal for a referendum on a proposed new nuclear power plant in Krsko on Thursday. While most MPs saw a new reactor as the only way to ensure power supply, the junior coalition party claimed the referendum was about getting a blank cheque for a potentially unviable project. In a 71:6 vote, deputies agreed that Slovenia's energy needs would not be met by solar and wind energy, given the planned closure of the Šoštanj coal-fired plant and the extended life-span of the current reactor in Krsko (NEK), which ends in 2043. The proposed question for a consultative referendum scheduled for late November is "Do you support the execution of the NEK 2 project, which, along with other low-carbon sources, will ensure a stable electricity supply?". (ANSA).