Nuclear Power Policies in Britain

This book analyses Britain’s most recent nuclear project launched in the mid-2000s against a backdrop of rising international concerns about energy security and climate change mitigation. This case study offers insight into the public policy dynamics at work in British nuclear policies and confronts them to the prevailing neoliberal doctrine.

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Nuclear power is a most fascinating research object; technological by nature, it involves a socio-cultural imagery embedded in the broader framework of a country’s societal and political traditions and practices. The aims of Nuclear Power Policies in Britain are twofold, being both empirical and theoretical: on the one hand, it tackles the debates, factors or issues bewildering nuclear decisions in the UK, and, on the other, it addresses the broader question of government leverage and governance in today’s neoliberal context. Analysing the current British nuclear policy ignites a broader discussion about the abilities and leverage of the state to spur innovation and influence techno-political decisions in a neoliberal context; Neoliberalism is thus used as both a theoretical framework and a normative political doctrine. This book delves into a much topical and critical facet of today’s British politics, opening up inroads into a wide range of fundamental questions regarding public policy dynamics, the critical function of energy choices, the roles of the public in national industrial projects and the impact of international regulation on national constraints.