UK committee warns Sizewell C plan poses 'high risk' to taxpayers

The British parliamentary Public Accounts Committee warned on Wednesday that the government's plan to build the Sizewell C nuclear plant poses a "high level of risk" for taxpayers and bill payers, with costs potentially spiraling to nearly £48 billion over the coming decades.

Committee warns of taxpayer burden

The committee said the project's price tag could reach £48 billion ($63.7 billion), leaving consumers responsible for an additional £9.8 billion in construction costs before 2040 and a further £12 billion throughout the plant's 60-year operational life. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the committee chair, said: "The high level of risk borne by taxpayers and consumers for the construction of Sizewell C is extraordinary."

Clifton-Brown added that private investors stand to gain significant returns while customers face higher energy bills, urging the government to "focus on the successful delivery of this project." The warning comes after ministers agreed to take a near-45 percent stake in the facility, which serves as a successor to the heavily delayed Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in Somerset.

Government defends nuclear project

A government spokesperson dismissed the concerns, stating the report "completely ignores that investors are incentivized to complete construction as cheaply and quickly as possible" through the terms of the deal. The official added that "once operational, Sizewell C could save £2bn a year across the energy system, cutting costs for families up and down the country, and the project is already making good progress with over 2,000 workers on site."

Last November, a review by the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce — established by then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer — concluded that the UK has become the world’s most expensive country in which to build nuclear power plants, urging sweeping reforms to streamline regulation and reduce project costs.