Britain should not build Severn (tidal) Barrage says report - Reuters

Source: Reuters

Britain should not build Severn Barrage says report
Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:06pm EDT

By Jeremy Lovell

LONDON (Reuters) - A proposed giant tidal barrage across
the Severn estuary in western England to generate clean
electricity does not make economic sense and should not go
ahead, a study said on Thursday.

The study said the 15 billion pounds it is estimated that
the 10-mile barrage would cost would be far better spent on
existing and already proven low carbon energy sources such
as wind, hydro, solar and combined heat and power.

"Even using the most conservative estimates of costs, the
barrage is one of the most expensive options for clean
energy there is," said Matthew Bell, author of the Frontier
Economics report for a group of non-governmental
organizations.

Underscoring its negative message, the report said it had
reached its conclusion without taking into account the local
environmental impact of the barrage on one of the country's
most sensitive ecological areas.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL111840120080611