“FACING THE ENERGY WALL”: THE ELECTRONUCLEAR INDUSTRY AND PLANNING IN POST-MESSMER PLAN FRANCE

Abstract

This article presents a multi-scale socio-historical analysis of nuclear power projects and programs over the last thirty years, with a view to understanding the presence or absence of public planning processes. While many social science studies have analyzed early nuclear technology development projects (from the 1950s to the 1990s), the more recent period (from the 1990s to the present day) has been less explored. Drawing on the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into France’s loss of sovereignty and energy independence, and on research carried out on the main French projects following the Messmer plan, the Flamanville EPR and ASTRID, we show how the nuclear industry gradually entered a regime of single projects, to the detriment of an overarching vision encompassing a series of programmes. The prevailing view is that the state has abandoned its role as strategy maker and, consequently, its ability to provide the industry with a long-term vision and support through public planning. We argue, however, that it is not only the state that has failed to continue to engage in long-term planning, but also the country’s nuclear operators and EDF in particular. We highlight the flaws inherent in the Messmer plan that contributed to such short-term thinking. The launch of a major program of construction of nuclear reactors has, paradoxically, distracted attention from the need to continue to build new power plants and led the operator, EDF, to focus on its operating activities to the detriment of long-term investment.