The government has come under fire from opposition parties for its failure to engage in a full debate on its energy review.

Tony Blair announced the publication of the review's report in a parliamentary written answer on Thursday.

"The report examines the main trends in energy markets and reviews the key choices facing policy-makers including when decisions need to be taken and how to keep options open, so policy remains relevant to changing circumstances," wrote Blair.

"While this report is not a statement of government policy, it raises a broad range of issues that are important to the future evolution of energy policy. The government intends to set in process a period of public consultation, leading to an energy white paper in the autumn."

Opposition politicians are angry that there is no Commons debate or statement timetabled on the proposals.

Environmentalists are up-in-arms over the review's failure to kill-off nuclear power and consumers are apprehensive over the prospect of a green hike in energy supply prices.

Conservative trade and industry spokesman Robert Key accused the government of failing to engage in a proper debate on an issue of "fundamental national importance".

"The energy review looks ahead 50 years and is of fundamental national importance. The government is publishing the report on an obscure website on a Thursday afternoon," he told ePolitix.com.

Key said the Conservatives wanted a "a high-level national debate" on energy issues. "I am annoyed the government has not seized the opportunity to start a great energy debate," he said.

"This debate must be about the importance of energy to every household in the country, about the price of power and the costs to the environment. This is about nuclear energy, the urgent need to increase renewable energy from wave and wind, and about coal, oil and gas."

"We will ensure that is what the nation gets," he pledged.

The Liberal Democrats also accused the government of running away from a full debate.

Dr Vincent Cable, the party's spokesman on trade and industry, said: "Patricia Hewitt and her department are dealing with the energy review in an underhand and cowardly way."

"If we are going to have an energy policy which has long term sustainability at its heart there will have to be a confrontation with vested interests, particularly the nuclear and coal industries. The government seems determined to avoid this conflict at all costs.

"The government is abusing the rights of parliament over the publication of the energy review," said Cable.

A much leaked report

The much leaked, late and trailed report from the Cabinet Office's Performance and Innovation Unit was prompted by September 2000's fuel protests and last year's Californian power blackouts.

Environmental concerns over nuclear power, increasing pressure to seek alternative "renewable" power sources, increased UK reliance on imported third world natural gas and the prospect of North Sea oil reserves drying up have informed the review which aims to set Britain's energy guidelines for the next 50 years.

Chaired by energy minister, Brian Wilson - who has drawn environmentalist fire over his personal support for nuclear power - the report considers three themes, the environment, pricing and security of supply.

Werlcoming the review's publication, Wilson said: "I welcome the report as an important contribution to the debate on how best to meet Britain's long term energy requirements. It is areport to government and we will need to consider its recommendations carefully and consult the public about them".

Although a failure to rule out the nuclear option forever will dismay environmentalists, the review backed green commitments to stronger targets on renewables and cuts in CO2 emissions.

Alternative energy sources - mainly wind and solar power - will rise from a market share of three per cent today to 10 per cent in 2010 doubling to 20 per cent in 2020.

Coal and nuclear power generators are the main losers.

Coal has been hit by low gas prices and the issue of carbon emissions in the post-Kyoto world.

Nuclear has been damaged by a ruling against further subsidies. More than 75 per cent of nuclear capacity is set to close by 2020.

Despite the cleanliness and efficiency of the controversial industry, the review concludes: "Any move by government to advance the use of nuclear power as a means of providing low carbon electricity would need to carry widespread public acceptance."

Friends of the Earth warns that that the government should "accept that the nuclear dream has become a nightmare".

"It is uneconomic, unsafe and unpopular and should be abandoned once and for all," adds the environmental lobby group.

British Nuclear Fuels has welcomed the report's open-endedness on the nuclear option and called for a rational debate to consider the proposals.

"We have been calling for clarity on the future of energy policy in this country for a long time. We welcome this report which confirms that nuclear generation will continue to remain an integral part of UK's future energy mix" said BNFL chief, Hugh Collum.

"Only by rational, open debate can we hope to stimulate sufficient education and understanding for the issues to be considered on their merits. This will allow informed choices of our energy options to be made for the future."

And Wilson siad the report was about balance: "The report is not about renewable versus nuclear, it is about balance and promoting innovation in new technologies. It stresses thepotential for renewables and energy efficiency but also argues that the options of new investment in nuclear power and cleaner coal should be kept open".

Consumers may also be a loser as the shift to renewables, which are far more expensive than fossil fuels, is translated into higher energy bills.

Price watchdog, Energywatch warned that any medium term plans to raise prices must "put in the balance with environmental concerns the key social objective of affordable and reliable energy or all".

"Consumers will want this report to deliver affordable and reliable energy. We especially hope that the recommendations of the report will support the aims of the UK fuel poverty strategy," said the chairman Ann Robinson.