A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON NUCLEAR ENERGY POLICY DECISION-MAKING

Abstract

Today many countries are operating nuclear power plants. According to the 2014 IAEA report, there are 438 operational nuclear power reactors in 30 countries. By the way, there has been a change of nuclear energy policy decision-making in many countries after Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Germany shut down the old generation of nuclear reactors and pledged to close the rest by 2022. Switzerland has banned the construction of new reactors. Belgium is considering phasing out its nuclear plants. On the other hand, France decided to extend the life of existing nuclear reactors. A fifth new reactor is under construction in Finland(https://en.wikipedia.org).How can national nuclear energy policy decision-making to the same external shock be so different? This study attempts to answer this question. First of all, this study examines determinants influencing on nuclear energy policy decision-making, such as energy security, climate change, public acceptance, etc. And this study discovers that the complex causal condition of the determinants of policy decision-making. This study is expected to give substantive and comprehensive information for nuclear energy policy decision makers.