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Publicatie Laka-bibliotheek:
National referendum on nuclear power (1980)

Auteur	Kerstin Niblaeus
Datum	februari 1980
Classificatie	2.07.0.00/01 (ZWEDEN - ALGEMEEN)
Voorkant

National Referendum on Nuclear Power in Sweden.

Energy policy has been a dominant political question in Sweden for most of the 
1970's. When Sweden's energy supply was planned in the 50's and 60's there was 
considerable optimism about the possibilities of exploiting nuclear energy for 
peaceful purposes. For Sweden with its large uranium assets - about 80% of known 
deposits in Europe -- nuclear energy also promised to reduce dependency on 
imported fuels. Sizable research and development efforts were launched, and the 
State and the privately owned company Asea joined forces to set up a domestic 
nuclear power industry, Asea-Atom. Unanimously, and after little discussion, 
Parliament decided on an initial programme of 11 lightwater reactors. The power 
industry foresaw continued expansion and at least 24 reactors were planned.

In the early 1970's nuclear power as a source of energy began to be called into 
question. A woman MP, Birgitta Hambraeus of the Centre party, demanded a 
moratorium on the construction of new reactors and this was agreed by Parliament 
in 1973. Opposition to nuclear power became an important political question for the 
Centre party, which traditionally drew its main support from the farmers and rural 
voters but was increasingly attracting the urban population, as well as 
environmentalists. Hannes Alfven, the Nobe1 Prize-winning physicist, played a 
large part in convincing party leader Thorbjorn Fa1ldin that nuclear power was 
unacceptable.

In 1975 Parliament approved an Energy Bill providing for a cautious expansion of 
nuclear power by one or two reactors over and above the 11 already decided on. No 
big-scale projects such as enrichment or reprocessing plants were envisaged. The 
programme, which also embodied a major effort to conserve energy and explore 
renewable energy sources, was backed by the Social Democratic party (then in 
Government), the Liberals and the Conservatives. The Centre party and the Left 
party Communists (VPK) opposed an expansion of nuclear power.

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