Quelle place pour le nucléaire dans des marchés électriques libéralisés ?

The initial investment cycle in civilian nuclear energy occurred during the 1970s, before the trend in the OECD toward opening electricity markets. Now, nuclear power is competing with renewable sources of energy, which are pulling prices down (in Europe) and/or with thermal energy production (in the United States). This pattern, which might shorten the life span of the nuclear power stations placed in operation during the 20th century, gives rise to uncertainty about how to finance plans for future power stations (supposing that, as in the British Hinkley Point project, a guarantee from "outside the market" is provided). These observations proceed from market interactions between electricity production systems depending on their "merits" (i.e., marginal costs) and, too, from imperfect assessments of how each system contributes to the electricity grid's capacity, services and, above all, carbon footprint.