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The Hinkley Point decision: An analysis of the policy process

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  • Thomas, Stephen

Abstract

In 2006, the British government launched a policy to build nuclear power reactors based on a claim that the power produced would be competitive with fossil fuel and would require no public subsidy. A decade later, it is not clear how many, if any, orders will be placed and the claims on costs and subsidies have proved false. Despite this failure to deliver, the policy is still being pursued with undiminished determination. The finance model that is now proposed is seen as a model other European countries can follow so the success or otherwise of the British nuclear programme will have implications outside the UK. This paper contends that the checks and balances that should weed out misguided policies, have failed. It argues that the most serious failure is with the civil service and its inability to provide politicians with high quality advice – truth to power. It concludes that the failure is likely to be due to the unwillingness of politicians to listen to opinions that conflict with their beliefs. Other weaknesses include the lack of energy expertise in the media, the unwillingness of the public to engage in the policy process and the impotence of Parliamentary Committees.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas, Stephen, 2016. "The Hinkley Point decision: An analysis of the policy process," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 421-431.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:96:y:2016:i:c:p:421-431
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2016.06.021
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bent Flyvbjerg, 2014. "What You Should Know About Megaprojects, and Why: An Overview," Papers 1409.0003, arXiv.org.
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    Cited by:

    1. Thomas, Steve, 2018. "Russia's Nuclear Export Programme," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 236-247.
    2. Thomas, Steve, 2017. "China's nuclear export drive: Trojan Horse or Marshall Plan?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 683-691.
    3. Mahalik, Mantu Kumar & Patel, Gupteswar & Sahoo, Bimal Kishore & Rahman, Mohammad Mafizur, 2023. "Impact of income inequality on renewable energy demand in south Asian economies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    4. Wealer, B. & Bauer, S. & Hirschhausen, C.v. & Kemfert, C. & Göke, L., 2021. "Investing into third generation nuclear power plants - Review of recent trends and analysis of future investments using Monte Carlo Simulation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    5. Turcsanyi, Richard Q., 2017. "Central European attitudes towards Chinese energy investments: The cases of Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 711-722.
    6. Jenkins, Kirsten & McCauley, Darren & Warren, Charles R., 2017. "Attributing responsibility for energy justice: A case study of the Hinkley Point Nuclear Complex," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 836-843.

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