UK Liberal Democrats plan 3.1 billion pound energy program

A general view shows the Whitelee wind farm near Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire, in Scotland May 20, 2009.

CARDIFF (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Liberal Democrats, enjoying a surge in support ahead of next month's election, set out plans on Monday for a 3.1 billion pound ($4.97 billion) investment in wind power and energy conservation.

Leader Nick Clegg also restated the party's opposition to investment in a new generation of nuclear power stations.

"We have identified 3.1 billion pounds of public spending that can be stopped and the money used to create jobs and protect the environment," leader Nick Clegg told a news conference ahead of the May 6 election.

"We will invest in wind energy, energy efficiency in public buildings and homes, and bring empty homes back into use through renovation," he added.

The Lib Dems, long the third force in British politics, have enjoyed a surprise surge to the top of opinion polls on the back of a widely praised performance by Clegg in a televised debate among party leaders last week.

The Lib Dem rise has increased the chances of an inconclusive election in which neither ruling Labour nor the opposition Conservatives win an outright majority.

The potential for the Lib Dems to have a role in government has alarmed the nuclear industry.

"Just imagine what we could do with a fraction of the money that the government wants to pour down the gullets of the nuclear industry in order to truly renovate the built environment of this country and so conserve energy better," Clegg said on Monday.

(Reporting by Avril Ormsby)