This a press release by our friends from EDF-OFF – their protest plans for May 1st have forced EDF to reschedule their major conference!
11th April 2013
Press Release: Immediate
Website: www.edfoff.org
Email: edfoff@gmail.com
Contact: Amina Makele
Phone: +44 78 8913 3791
EDF ‘let’s talk power’ conference shut down by protest plans
EDF Energy, majority owned by the French Government, was in full retreat today as their annual London energy conference “Lets Talk Power”, scheduled for May 01, was cancelled due to “planned protests”. Organisers cited latest advice from police that “there could be disruption in the Blackfriars area which might complicate journeys for delegates travelling to and from the conference.”
A counter event “Lets talk People Power”, organised by EDF*off and others in solidarity with No Dash for Gas, was scheduled for May 01 and had attracted 500 confirmed attendants. The counter event called on protestors to “shut down the EDF conference” following EDF Energy’s 5 million pound lawsuit against the No Dash for Gas activists who occupied EDF owned West Burton power station for a week last autumn. This is the second time this year EDF has had to bow to public pressure, after dropping the civil claim against the activists last month.
Reacting to the news, Joel Benjamin of EDF*off said:
“For the second time in 3 months, EDF Energy has been forced into retreat, due to public opposition to its plans to suppress legitimate protest action, and to lock the UK into decades of expensive gas and nuclear energy by lobbying our politicians.
The decision by EDF to cancel the behind closed doors “Lets Talk Power” event is a victory for protesters who believe that it is our Government should be setting energy policy – acting in the public interest to tackle climate change with investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency measures.
Government must not succumb to corporate energy lobbyists like EDF who aspire to construct expensive and polluting new build gas and nuclear power stations, when research proves investment in wind energy creates more jobs and brings higher tax receipts for the UK.”
Last month the UK Government approved the controversial EDF Hinkley C Nuclear Power station, even though the “strike price” – the price at which the Government would buy energy from EDF is yet to be decided – effectively resulting in up to 40 years of taxpayer subsidies being handed to the French Government.
The “Lets Talk Power” event has been rescheduled for October, with protesters vowing to ensure that People Power wins out against the dark room dealings of the Big 6.
Notes:
Photos of the No Dash for Gas power station protest are available from No Dash For Gas – see http://www.nodashforgas.org.uk/press
Facebook event for the ‘ Let’s Talk People Power’ protest: http://www.facebook.com/events/277165562415039/
Research on investment in wind http://www.acciona.com/media/660111/en_wind_energy_policies.pdf]
Background on EDF*off: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/10/no-dash-for-gas-edf
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/EDFoff/558469730852935?ref=hl
Twitter: http://twitter.com/EDFOFF
Current EDF customers who are switching as a result of the lawsuit are available to comment.