Should we phase out nuclear power?

The catastrophe of Fukushima last April has reopened the debate on the civil nuclear energy. In fact, this catastrophe has been followed by a sudden realization in the whole world that it is impossible to disregard all risks in nuclear matters. France is particularly affected by this since it has the world’s second largest nuclear power plant and 75% of its electricity comes from these plants. Despite the Japanese example and the virulence of the debate, no decision has been taken concerning the reduction of the nuclear plants. Despite that nuclear energy means an inacceptable threat, it is often underestimated, in particular regarding the new generation of nuclear reactors. It seems to be important to start the transition towards renewable energies today in order to phase out nuclear energy eventually. Yet, the majority of the French political class finds it hard to take a stand.

An underestimated and unacceptable nuclear risk

The production of electricity by nuclear power plants goes hand in hand with major risks. First of all, it carries an environmental risk since a nuclear plant produces radioactive waste and technological risks, that is to say the risk of a major catastrophe which endangers the human race. The whole debate is based on the evaluation of the advantages of nuclear power versus its risks. And yet nuclear energy is the object of industrial lobbying which minimizes the impact of an accident in the eyes of the State and the public. Each nuclear plant has to undergo a probability analysis which determines the probability of an accident happening as well as the solution to it but it appears that some nuclear plants in France were neither adapted to deal with terrorist threats nor natural catastrophes nor insured in a satisfactory manner because insurance companies do not cover them for risks above a certain limit. When it comes to the argument stating that nuclear energy guarantees France’s energy independence it is no more than a myth. The uranium, used as fuel in the nuclear plants, is imported. Finally, in the long term, the occurrence of an accident is almost certain. And yet, the reactors of Fessenheim, Tricastin and Bugey are in service since more than 30 years and the next generation of reactors will have a lifespan of about 60 years! One of these third generation reactors called EPR is at the moment under construction in France and constitutes the stumbling block of the debate on nuclear power. Its power will be superior to those of the second generation which could induce terrible consequences in case of an accident and its nuclear waste will be seven times more radioactive. What is more, it has been clearly been shown by Greenpeace that the authorities of EDF (Électricité de France, Electricity of France] have minimized the risks in their. Can we then still speak of an acceptable risk? Nuclear power does not only mean a threat to the population at present but also endangers the environment of future generations. The risk involved with nuclear power cannot then be considered acceptable, especially since alternatives exist.

The necessary transition towards renewable energies…

It is possible to start an energy transition which will allow us, over decades, to decrease or even to completely phase out the production of electricity by nuclear power. The principle is relatively simple; it is based on switching from nonrenewable energy, which will disappear once the stocks run out, like nuclear energy, to renewable energy which is not dangerous at all. However, the implementation requires a real effort in Research and Development and above all, the monitoring of the use of energy by private persons as well as on a collective level. The development of the use of biomass (wood, agricultural byproducts, biogas) should be established as well as abandoning electrical heating. The setup of smart grids for the measurement of peaks of consumption should be encouraged and especially a bigger initiative should be left to the local level, since the citizens have to be involved in the process of transition for it to succeed. Finally, the cost of energy production from renewable sources keeps going down while that of nuclear power keeps rising because of increasing costs of security measures. That argument cannot be disregarded in times of crisis.

…is slowed down by an unresponsive political class

Unfortunately French politicians are little engaged for a transition even when they are not openly supporting nuclear power. Apart from the green party of Europe Ecologie - les Verts (EELV), who lobby for the phasing out of nuclear energy but who have trouble establishing the mere idea of the reduction of nuclear power plants in France, only the party of ex-president Nicholas Sarkozy has a firm opinion on the topic. The latter has in fact declared that “abandoning nuclear energy would be like cutting off an arm”. François Hollande, who opposed Sarkozy during the presidential elections [see connecting articles of Duel Amical on France], previously declared that he would stop the construction of the EPR before changing his mind and at the moment his opinions on the matter remain unclear due to his support of plan to decrease of the proportion nuclear energy in electricity production from 75% to 50%.

In face of the lack of initiative the French political class is ready to make it falls back on citizens to mobilize and take initiatives to launch a real transition. It is in fact more than necessary to escape the nuclear energy trap since nowadays less dangerous alternatives are available. But for a transition to take place it would be essential that we change our behavior when it comes to electricity consumption.