Deconstructing Energy Law and Policy

Nuclear power has been a consideration and part of energy policies of many countries across the world since its emergence as an electricity provider after the Second World War. Nuclear energy is a low-carbon energy source and therefore can contribute to reducing the effects of climate change. However, it is also faced with issues of high cost, risk and waste disposal. Drawing on over 90 interviews completed across Belgium (Brussels), Romania, the United States, and the United Kingdom, this book focusses on the development and formulation of energy law and policy in civil nuclear energy in the EU, the US and beyond. Heffron deconstructs the constituent parts of effective energy law and policy within the complex and often controversial energy industry. Pulling out what has and what has not worked, he suggests ways to improve the delivery of the central aims of law and policy. ; Drawing on over 90 interviews completed across Belgium (Brussels), Romania, the US, the EU and the UK, this book identifies the key elements of effective and deliverable energy law and policy. ; 1. Introduction; 2. The Different Dimensions of Nuclear Energy Policy; 3. An Overview of EU and US Energy Legislation; 4. The Development of Romanian Nuclear Energy Law 1990-2010; 5. Energy Law and Policy Development in the US Nuclear Energy Industry: A Three State Analysis; 6. Exploring Energy Policy Inaction and Contradiction: The Case of Nuclear Energy in the US 1990-2010; 7. Revising Energy Law and Policy in the UK: Reigniting the Nuclear Energy Sector; 8. Conclusion: A Review of the Dynamics of the Nuclear Energy Industry: Strategy Development for the Nuclear Energy Sector; Appendix; Notes; References and Bibliography; Index.