Plans for two new reactors at Hinkley Point have cleared a critical hurdle in the European Union.
EDF and its partners plan to build two Areva EPR units generating 3,260 megawatts next to the existing plant in Somerset. The UK's energy plans call for several new reactors to replace retiring plants, and Hinkley Point C would be the first new nuclear construction in the country since 1995. Last year, the British government and EDF negotiated an agreement with a 35-year minimum power price guarantee. In the months that followed, the European Union began an investigation into whether that agreement and its state support for the project violated EU rules.
On Monday, the BBC reported that the investigation has been completed. The European Commission has reached a tentative deal with the UK on the project and recommended it be approved. The EU's College of Commissioners will make a final decision in the next few weeks.