Innovation and institutional change: the transition to a sustainable ...

Stability and transformation in the electricity system 89
The national government was not able to change the course of the events,
because of the autonomous position of generators 14 . Due to lack of
(legislative) steering instruments, the Dutch government had no real
influence on what kind of nuclear technology should be used in nuclear
plants. With the experience of the first nuclear power plants government
decided in 1974 that the decision-making competence with regard to
building new nuclear power plants should be assigned to the Ministry of
Economic Affairs.
In the seventies also public concern for safety, the problem of the nuclear
waste and nuclear proliferation began to emerge. Public resistance against
nuclear energy in the Netherlands became more and more organised and a
national energy debate (BMD) was initiated in the beginning of the eighties
because of increasing societal concern over future routes of energy supply
developed by government in co-operation with the energy supply sector. The
BMD made clear that opinions regarding the future energy supply differed
widely (SMDE, 1983: 3). Two opposing viewpoints were also most strongly
backed by their followers. One viewpoint viewed expansion of nuclear
energy supply as indispensable (pro-nuclear viewpoint: held by 17-26% of
various groups and individuals participating in the BMD and 13% in a
parallel poll 15 ). This viewpoint was strongly related with the opinion that
regarded unrestricted growth of energy use as desirable. The opposing
viewpoint argued for closure of existing nuclear power plants (anti-nuclear
viewpoint: held by 33-58%, parallel poll 37%) and was associated with
reduction of energy use. The moderate group, however (held by 16-40%,
parallel poll 50%), held the opinion that the two nuclear power plants should
be maintained, not expanded, and was associated with slowing down of the
growth of energy use.
The pro-nuclear viewpoint was most widely held by institutions from the
electricity sector. In the scientific field the department of nuclear energy
from the association of engineers (KIVI) is strongly in favour of expansion
of nuclear energy. The Royal Academy of Sciences (KNAW) expresses the
opinion that ‘there are no scientific arguments not to make room for nuclear
energy’. Arguments for nuclear energy given by the electricity sector are:
– With the current situation and price level for fossil fuels nuclear power is
cheapest as electricity source for the base load;
14
Although provinces and municipalities owned the generators, they acted like private
companies.
15
Discussion in the BMD took place at local level, through sessions with societal
organisations, discussions in education, and through institutional participation. A parallel
poll was held to poll opinions in Dutch society independent of whether active participation
in the BMD took place.