On 26 November 2012, the UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) granted a site licence to NBB Generation Company (NBB GenCo), the nuclear new build subsidiary of EDF Energy, for the construction of a new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point, in Somerset, southwest England. The awarding of the licence doesn't mean that the construction of the two European Pressurised Water Reactors (EPRs) planned for Hinkley Point can start right away, as ONR will also have to give its prior consent for construction to begin.
Wednesday, 30 January 2013 16:42 | 
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Press release on EC communication on the stress tests
"New nuclear has a central role to play in our energy future, delivering secure, low carbon power and supporting jobs and economic growth. Hitachi's commitment to the UK is extremely welcome, and I am determined that we work closely with the company to deliver their planned investment." 
On 27 January 2013, a majority of Bulgarian voters (around 61%) said "yes" to the question: "Should nuclear energy be developed in the Republic of Bulgaria through the construction of a new nuclear power plant (NPP)?". It was Bulgaria's first national referendum since 1971, but unfortunately the turnout was too low (around 20%) for the results to be binding. However since the threshold of 20% was reached, and more than half of the votes were positive, the question will be tabled for debate at the Parliament.
Recent opinion polls confirm that there is continuous and even growing support for nuclear energy in countries like UK, Czech Republic and Finland, where governements have decided to continue to support nuclear after last year's Fukushima accident.
On 23 November 2012, the British government reached an agreement detailing the Energy Bill, which aims at mitigating CO2 emissions, securing electricity supply and maintaining energy independence. This agreement includes £7.6 billion for the so-called "market support" for renewables, as well as new nuclear and carbon capture and storage up to 2020. The Energy Bill itself was officially published on 29 November 2012.
