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

90 Chapter 4
– Application of nuclear energy reduces our dependency and improves
stability of prices.
Apart from expanding nuclear energy the general view expressed by the
electricity sector is that also coal-fired power plants should be expanded. A
minority in the BMD discussion (11-18%) holds this view. The dominant
views are that coal use should for the moment be very moderately expanded
(36-44%) or that coal should be used as little as possible (39-51%).
There was widespread agreement that research on possible application of
renewable energy sources should be intensified 16 . The dominant opinion was
that research and application should be started as quickly as possible (56-
75%). Another view was that renewable energy sources should be research
and applied for in so far as possible (26-38%). Institutions from the
electricity sector clearly held this view and argue that renewable energy
sources are both technically and economically only potential alternatives in
the very long term 17 .
In the BMD-process several sessions took place in which followers debated
their different viewpoints and tried to convince the opposition to change
their opinion. Observations of the steering group regarding these controversy
sessions were: 18
– It was confirmed that societal beliefs, mental worlds ‘behind’ energy
opinions play an important role, which hampers testing of energy
opinions;
– Government, the electricity sector, and technical experts sometimes have
great difficulty to emphatise with views, opinions, prejudices en societal
beliefs that are put forward by society. They (the experts) are not always
able to recognise that also their own standpoints are motivated by
emotions based on norms and values.
Summarising the national energy debate clearly illustrates the belief of the
electricity sector that large-scale application of both nuclear energy and coal
is a logical and desired route for future energy supply. It also illustrates the
limited capacity of the sector, and especially of technical experts, and the
majority of engineers, to disengage itself from the past achievements of the
electricity system, its artefacts and the technologies that built the system.
Despite societal resistance, but in line with the resource diversification
orientation in national energy policies, the Dutch government approved
16
Stuurgroep Maatschappelijke Discussie Energiebeleid, Eindrapport BMD, pp. 165-175,
1983.
17
Ibid. and appendix A1.
18
Stuurgroep Maatschappelijke Discussie Energiebeleid, Eindrapport BMD, pp. 38-39,
1983.