The Swedish Nuclear Dilemma

Renowned economist William Nordhaus has developed many innovative approaches for analyzing complex environmental questions. He applies them to the possible phaseout of nuclear power in Sweden in The Swedish Nuclear Dilemma: Energy and the Environment. While making a major contribution to that debate, this book has value that extends well beyond the Swedish issue, to the careful and well-informed consideration of environmental and energy questions that industrialized nations and developing regions now face. It is essential for anyone interested in nuclear-power issues and climate change. The Swedish parliament has moved closer to eliminating nuclear energy, even while repeating commitments to reduce the greenhouse-gas emissions associated with fossil fuels. Nordhaus's Swedish Energy and Environmental Policy (SEEP) model quantifies the economic results of such a path. He analyzes the impact of factors such as deregulation of electricity generation, global climate-change policies, the decline of Sweden's economic growth, and the rethinking of its welfare state. He also sets the stage for more informed analysis of similarly difficult issues where economic and environmental goals clash.