1st Edition

The Swedish Nuclear Dilemma Energy and the Environment

By William D. Nordhaus Copyright 1997

    Renowned economist William Nordhaus has developed many innovative approaches for analyzing complex environmental questions. He applies them to the possible phaseout of nuclear power in Sweden in The Swedish Nuclear Dilemma: Energy and the Environment. While making a major contribution to that debate, this book has value that extends well beyond the Swedish issue, to the careful and well-informed consideration of environmental and energy questions that industrialized nations and developing regions now face. It is essential for anyone interested in nuclear-power issues and climate change. The Swedish parliament has moved closer to eliminating nuclear energy, even while repeating commitments to reduce the greenhouse-gas emissions associated with fossil fuels. Nordhaus's Swedish Energy and Environmental Policy (SEEP) model quantifies the economic results of such a path. He analyzes the impact of factors such as deregulation of electricity generation, global climate-change policies, the decline of Sweden's economic growth, and the rethinking of its welfare state. He also sets the stage for more informed analysis of similarly difficult issues where economic and environmental goals clash.

    Foreword Paul R. Portney Preface Part I: Background 1. Introduction: The Swedish Dilemma The Scope of the Study 2. Historical Background A Brief Sketch of the Swedish Economy The Swedish Electricity System The Swedish Energy System in International Context 3. Issues To Be Considered The Nuclear Debate and the Nuclear Referendum The Interparty Agreement of 1991 Climate Change Policy Deregulating the Electricity Market Part II: Options and Impacts 4. Building Blocks Supply and Demand Situations in 1990 and 2010 Impacts of Supply Reductions 5. The Swedish Energy and Environmental Policy (SEEP) Model The Structure of the Model Baseline Simulations 6. Nuclear Matters Economic Aspects of Swedish Nuclear Power The Tail End of the Nuclear Cycle Safety of Nuclear Power Estimates of External costs from Different Fuel Cycles Costs of Additional Capacity in Different Fuel Cycles 7. Alternative Scenarios for Nuclear Power Sources of Replacement Power Major Options Sensitivity Analyses Electricity Prices Impacts by Industry Part III: The Future of Nuclear Power in Sweden 8. Resolving the Swedish Dilemma Index

    Biography

    William D. Nordhaus is A. Whitney Griswold Professor of Economics at Yale University and the author of several books, including Managing the Global Commons. He is also coauthor with Paul Samuelson of Economics, entering its 16th edition.

    'Nordhaus displays the tradeoffs among energy costs, nuclear risks, toxic pollutants, and global warming. The skill of application and clarity of presentation offer rewards for the reader interested in any of these issues, not to mention the reader interested in Sweden.' William W. Hogan, Harvard University