ENERGY Secretary Ed Miliband last night cleared the way for a new nuclear power station on the Somerset coast.

Hinkley Point was one of 10 sites earmarked for a huge expansion of nuclear power, a move which comes despite massive planned increases in renewable energy.

The first is set to be operational by 2018 and, by 2025, nuclear could amount to around 40 per cent of new energy provision.

The Government claims building the new station alongside the existing reactors could lead to 4,000 extra jobs, with another 1,000 needed to run it.

A new planning system will fast-track the £2 billion proposal to prevent opponents stalling it in the courts. It means a final decision could be made just 12 months after the acceptance of an application.

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EDF Energy will launch a formal consultation on Hinkley Point later this month, with the aim to submit a planning application for the UK's first new plant in 20 years by summer 2010.

Vincent de Rivaz, EDF's chief executive, said: "This is a defining moment on the road to a low-carbon Britain, which has been reached because of the wide consensus of support for new nuclear that exists, including between industry, regulators, academics, scientists and politicians."

However, the decision provoked anger from environmental campaigners who vowed to block it.

And political opponents criticised the Government for "leaving it so late" before tackling the "national energy emergency".

The Government has warned that significantly more generating capacity is needed in the long-term to meet the UK's low-carbon energy challenge, partly because of the intermittency of wind generation. One-third of future generating capacity must be given consent and built by 2025, said Mr Miliband, adding: "While there are already proposals to build more energy infrastructure, more is needed to bring about the shift to a low-carbon future. In a world where our North Sea reserves are declining, a more diverse, low-carbon energy mix is a more secure energy mix, less vulnerable to fluctuations in the availability of any one fuel."

Mr Miliband said the current planning system was a "barrier" to this shift in emphasis, maintaining it served neither the interests of energy security nor of people living in areas where new stations might be built. "That is why we are undertaking fundamental reform of the planning system, which will result in a more efficient, transparent and accessible process."

The minister also confirmed that additional infrastructure projects – including a new road and bridge required near the Hinkley site – would be included in the main fast-tracked planning process.

Bridgwater MP Ian Liddell-Grainger said he was "absolutely delighted" by the announcement which will secure thousands of jobs for the area. "It is 100 years' worth of work, from construction to operation to decommissioning. It is a very, very good deal," he said.

However, green campaigners, including Greenpeace, vowed to instruct lawyers to examine the announcement "very closely". The UK and Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities said they were "dismayed" with the announcement, describing it as a "missed opportunity" in developing more sustainable renewable energy alternatives.

Mr Miliband also set out targets for generating 30 per cent of electricity by renewable sources by 2020.

It could mean a major boost for the Westcountry, which is seen as a leader in marine, tidal and wind technology.