Liberal Democrat energy policy has been criticised as "totally wrong" by a senior MP.
Phil Willis said "our party policy is totally wrong on this issue" and "dishonest".
He said nuclear power was a more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel.
Citing the range of infrastructure problems, he said it is "farcical to think we can deal with our pledges by putting more wind turbines in the North Sea".
Martin Horwood, Lib Dem environment and climate change spokesman, accepted there is "a challenge" in meeting UK energy demand.
But he said the party has been "resolutely against" nuclear power and called for that position to remain.
The reasons for this include the security of supply, the cost, the availability of alternatives and the long term dangers, Horwood told the meeting.
Warning of nuclear's "toxic legacy" for the future, he added that "there is a moral issue there".
"I am keen to maintain the current party policy," he said, but backed the need for robust debate on the issue.
Adrian Bull from Westinghouse UK, speaking as a representative of the DODS Nuclear Dialogue noted the importance of debating the future of nuclear energy in the UK.
Speaking as an industry representative, he stated that "nobody is presenting nuclear power as the quick fix" for the energy challenges faced globally.
He noted the existing nuclear stations are scheduled to close in the medium term, yet experience has shown that lifetime extensions are possible.
And he said that nuclear energy "is not a transition technology", and future developments will be led by the private sector, with a greater degree of standardisation.
DODS is the proud organiser of the Nuclear Dialogue Group.
The Nuclear Dialogue Group is a unique collaboration between the private and public sectors, with The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), The Nuclear Industry Association (NIA), EnergySolutions, The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and Westinghouse UK. The government has suggested active steps have been taken to facilitate early deployment of new nuclear build in the UK by increasing certainty for investors and removing unnecessary obstacles. The debate will consider what these steps mean for the future of nuclear in the UK's energy mix.
This theme will be explored further at our events at the Labour and Conservative conferences over the coming fortnight.
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Lembit Opik MP
Martin Horwood MP, Climate change spokesman
Phil Willis MP
Adrian Bull, Westinghouse UK
