SIR - The recent article in your paper concerning small units of electricity generation utilisation was interesting, but the use of rivers is not the answer.

Many years ago, in the heyday of the mighty generating board, budgets were set aside to progress means of generation other than that carried out by conventional systems. Most of this budget was swallowed up by the nuclear option.

Much was discussed into the utilisation of the many estuaries around Britain. Dams could be built across these locations housing water turbines, with locks at strategic points to accommodate shipping. Toll roads could also be constructed on top of these structures as revenue collectors.

The initial construction costs plus the complaints from various organisations concerning habitat and wildlife meant the projects were non-starters.

Instead we have the generation of electricity by our national gas supplies, small units of wind power, coalmines closed and fossil fuel imported.

Now that the country's power generation is in the hands of private companies, large projects using natural resources will never be funded. So Britain will never revert back to nuclear generation being funded largely by our government.

P E WAINWRIGHT,

Droitwich Spa.