The (non-) economics of the nuclear fuel cycle: an historical and discourse analysis

Abstract The development of commercial nuclear power seems irrational. While the nature of the nuclear fuel cycle has been well known since the early days of nuclear power, the problem of disposing of nuclear waste has only recently become a central area of concern and research. Also, commercial nuclear power has probably never been truly economically competitive, as it has received large subsidies. It is argued that the rise of nuclear power can be understood through the use of discourse analysis, where the discourse of the modernising and interventionist state is well matched to the discourse of nuclear power, as offering control and modernity.