Why not ditch nuclear and focus only on renewables, as the greens suggest? 

This is rather different to Britain being the -Saudi Arabia of wind power- as many in the environmental movement are fond of asserting. Indeed, MacKay concludes that we will need to import renewable electricity from other countries Ð primarily from solar farms in the North African desert Ð or choose nuclear, or both. Indeed, it is vital to stress the neither I nor MacKay nor any credible expert suggests a choice between renewables and nuclear: the sensible conclusion is that we need both, soon, and on a large scale if we are to phase out coal and other fossil fuels as rapidly as the climate needs. As MacKay told me: -We need to get building-