The Energy Frontier: Exploring the Future of Commercial Nuclear Power in Canada, Finland, and Germany
Abstract
A state has a plethora of options when it comes to electricity generation. In the case of nuclear power, it is not a simple yes/no or present/absent dichotomy as it is often portrayed in the literature. A state that has existing nuclear capacity can choose to: expand, maintain, or phase out nuclear power. It will implement one of these three policies towards nuclear power for a variety of political, social, and economic reasons; the challenge is to discern the criteria used in reaching these policy outcomes. Using Finland, Canada, and Germany, this project explores most similar cases with differing outcomes during the nuclear renaissance (2000-2015). Each case is illustrative of one of the three possible trajectories for a state already in possession of at least one commercial nuclear power plant. This dissertation sought to better understand why they choose such divergent policies around nuclear power during this period of study.
Its findings confirm the literature’s claim that nuclear expansions are most likely to take place within governance models that are centralized, technocratic, and involve limited public engagement. As electricity planning shifts away from centrally planned, technically-informed decisions among experts to a more democratic process, with an increased emphasis on social considerations, large-infrastructure projects like nuclear power plants will become that much more challenging to advance. Taken together with the rising costs of building new reactors, it will greatly limit where new construction will seriously be considered.
Description
Keywords
Political Science--International Law and Relations, Energy, Engineering--Nuclear, Psychology--Social
Citation
Torre, D. I. (2017). The Energy Frontier: Exploring the Future of Commercial Nuclear Power in Canada, Finland, and Germany (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28128