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Energy in France: Planning, politics and policy
Book reviews French energy policy- the inside story ENERGY IN FRANCE: Politics and Policy
Planning,
by N.J.D. Lucas
220pp, £I 5.00, Europa Publications, London, 1979
uranium mine to the reprocessing of fuel and EDF matching the implementation of a large programme of reactor construction with the promotion of electricity consumption. The 1974 oil price hike gave a fillip to the programme at the cost of heavy borrowing. The opposition to nuclear developments in several countries put France in a strong position as exporter of products and services. In Dr Lucas' opinion, and I share his view, the decision-making process was made easier by the common origin and training of the company managers and top civil
Dr Lucas has produced a useful and informative book on French energy policy. France is a resource poor country, as appears in the energy balance presented in the first chapter. Dr Lucas describes in the second chapter the relationship between the state and the operating companies in a historical perspective. He then reviews the energy sectors in some detail and returns to the relationship between government and industry in a succession of chapters on DECIDING ABOUT ENERGY POLICY the nature of government control (strict), the role of the Plan (negligible), 127 pp, £5.00 hardback, £2.00 and the formulation of policy. A last paperback, Council for Science and section deals with the opposition to Society, London, 1979 nuclear policy. Dr Lucas certainly knows the inside The book is described as a report of a story and this is all the more remarkable study financed by the Ford Foundation. since the French administration has the Study is hardly the right word. It is reputation of being rather secretive with rather a distillation of opinions. The its own constituents. The seetoral study team was led by John Ziman, the review is an accurate, objective and up Chairman of the Council, and to date document. Quite rightly more of constituted a formidable array of talent the book is devoted to electricity and including that eminent European Ralf nuclear energy than to the other sectors. Dahrendorf, who now heads the France, contrary to the UK, had no London School of Economics, and other choice but to play the nuclear Professor David Henderson. card after having, like most As one would expect from a team of industrialized countries, banked on this quality, the book is well structured cheap oil for its economic expansion. and well written in a scholarly style - I The basic decision, against the natural encountered the odd word that I had not uranium reactor and in favour of the seen in print since I studied metaphysics PWR under a Westinghouse licence, a good many years ago. The presence of was taken in 1969 under the pressure of the Bishop of Durham, Dr John EDF, the electricity producer, and Habgood, on the team no doubt had against the views of CEA, the atomic something to do with this. energy authority. The wide range of experience From then on these two influential represented on the team made it a bodies joined forces, CEA building an frustrating book to review: every time I integrated fuel cycle industry from the saw what seemed to me an unbalanced
servants. Where I differ from the author is on the scope of nuclear opposition in France, which I believe he has overstated. I do agree with him, however, that the information and consultation procedures concerning plant siting are not thoroughly democratic. What is missing in Dr Lucas' study is an analysis of French oil diplomacy after the end of the Algerian war when it was clear that the French franc zone oil would not flow on French terms. From 1967 onwards France practiced a deliberate pro-Arab policy and this was not without energy supply undertones. The regrettable decision not to join the International Energy Agency in 1974 was motivated by the refusal to engage in a policy of outright opposition to OPEC.
Guy de Carmoy INSEAD Fontainebleau, France
Nuclear metaphysics?
-
ENERGY POLICY December 1980
statement there appeared - in the next paragraph or even the next line another statement to balance it. In this respect it reminded me of the report on nuclear energy by the UK Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP), a work which I subsequently noticed heads the list of recommended reading at the end of the book. Nevertheless, whilst reading the book, I felt an increasing sense of being ever so gently brainwashed. No doubt some of the authors will accuse me of being an oversensitive old pro-nuke, but the book struck me as being like an extremely tasty cake, exquisitely prepared by the best pastrycooks in the land - but with some slightly off-tasting currants. These were the frequent references to nuclear energy - almost invariably followed by some apparently parallel reference to some other energy form - which added up to an overall impression of something more dangerous than in fact it is and having deeper and wider significance than in fact it has. The recommended reading list points the same way. Amory Lovins' Soft Energy Paths appears there -
355
Planning,
by N.J.D. Lucas
220pp, £I 5.00, Europa Publications, London, 1979
uranium mine to the reprocessing of fuel and EDF matching the implementation of a large programme of reactor construction with the promotion of electricity consumption. The 1974 oil price hike gave a fillip to the programme at the cost of heavy borrowing. The opposition to nuclear developments in several countries put France in a strong position as exporter of products and services. In Dr Lucas' opinion, and I share his view, the decision-making process was made easier by the common origin and training of the company managers and top civil
Dr Lucas has produced a useful and informative book on French energy policy. France is a resource poor country, as appears in the energy balance presented in the first chapter. Dr Lucas describes in the second chapter the relationship between the state and the operating companies in a historical perspective. He then reviews the energy sectors in some detail and returns to the relationship between government and industry in a succession of chapters on DECIDING ABOUT ENERGY POLICY the nature of government control (strict), the role of the Plan (negligible), 127 pp, £5.00 hardback, £2.00 and the formulation of policy. A last paperback, Council for Science and section deals with the opposition to Society, London, 1979 nuclear policy. Dr Lucas certainly knows the inside The book is described as a report of a story and this is all the more remarkable study financed by the Ford Foundation. since the French administration has the Study is hardly the right word. It is reputation of being rather secretive with rather a distillation of opinions. The its own constituents. The seetoral study team was led by John Ziman, the review is an accurate, objective and up Chairman of the Council, and to date document. Quite rightly more of constituted a formidable array of talent the book is devoted to electricity and including that eminent European Ralf nuclear energy than to the other sectors. Dahrendorf, who now heads the France, contrary to the UK, had no London School of Economics, and other choice but to play the nuclear Professor David Henderson. card after having, like most As one would expect from a team of industrialized countries, banked on this quality, the book is well structured cheap oil for its economic expansion. and well written in a scholarly style - I The basic decision, against the natural encountered the odd word that I had not uranium reactor and in favour of the seen in print since I studied metaphysics PWR under a Westinghouse licence, a good many years ago. The presence of was taken in 1969 under the pressure of the Bishop of Durham, Dr John EDF, the electricity producer, and Habgood, on the team no doubt had against the views of CEA, the atomic something to do with this. energy authority. The wide range of experience From then on these two influential represented on the team made it a bodies joined forces, CEA building an frustrating book to review: every time I integrated fuel cycle industry from the saw what seemed to me an unbalanced
servants. Where I differ from the author is on the scope of nuclear opposition in France, which I believe he has overstated. I do agree with him, however, that the information and consultation procedures concerning plant siting are not thoroughly democratic. What is missing in Dr Lucas' study is an analysis of French oil diplomacy after the end of the Algerian war when it was clear that the French franc zone oil would not flow on French terms. From 1967 onwards France practiced a deliberate pro-Arab policy and this was not without energy supply undertones. The regrettable decision not to join the International Energy Agency in 1974 was motivated by the refusal to engage in a policy of outright opposition to OPEC.
Guy de Carmoy INSEAD Fontainebleau, France
Nuclear metaphysics?
-
ENERGY POLICY December 1980
statement there appeared - in the next paragraph or even the next line another statement to balance it. In this respect it reminded me of the report on nuclear energy by the UK Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP), a work which I subsequently noticed heads the list of recommended reading at the end of the book. Nevertheless, whilst reading the book, I felt an increasing sense of being ever so gently brainwashed. No doubt some of the authors will accuse me of being an oversensitive old pro-nuke, but the book struck me as being like an extremely tasty cake, exquisitely prepared by the best pastrycooks in the land - but with some slightly off-tasting currants. These were the frequent references to nuclear energy - almost invariably followed by some apparently parallel reference to some other energy form - which added up to an overall impression of something more dangerous than in fact it is and having deeper and wider significance than in fact it has. The recommended reading list points the same way. Amory Lovins' Soft Energy Paths appears there -
355