Second smelter

Press, 7 May 1981, Page 16

Second smelter

Sir, — Power shortages, price rises and blackouts are inevitable over the next decade, directly as a result of the Government’s “Think Big” strategy. It was a disastrous mistake to encourage energyintensive industrialisation when there was in fact no electricity surplus. But instead of backing down, they have planned a “strenuous programme of system expansion” to meet the artificially created demand. Ordinary consumers are paying for expensive new power stations needed for the proposed, smelter. In return we get widespread environmental disruption, dislocated communities and power cuts when there is not enough electricity for Fletchers'and the rest of us. The smelter will not “trickledown”. foreign exchange benefits to help small business or unemployment. What it will do is waste electricity and finance that could be used to reduce power bills, electrify the railways and assist labour intensive enterprises. Your editorial (April 30) was a timely clarification of the issue. — Yours, etc., K. E. CRONIN. ; May 3, 1981.