TIDAL POWER IN THE SEVERN ESTUARY

That this House notes the potential for tidal power in the Severn Estuary to generate up to five per cent. of the UK's total electricity demand, to improve security of energy supplies and significantly to reduce UK carbon emissions; calls on the Government, with the involvement of the Welsh Assembly, immediately to commission an independent strategic evaluation of all the options for exploiting tidal power in the Severn Estuary, including potential levels of power generation and carbon emission reductions, ecological impacts, business viability, impact on the local area and local communities, compatibility of the different technologies involved and the potential for exporting technologies to international markets; and believes that this should form the basis of a Government decision on a strategic development framework for tidal power in the Severn, and potentially in other UK estuaries.