In a new publication Professor Aleh Cherp leads an international team of co-authors to compare the development of nuclear and renewable energy in Germany and Japan. The article solves a puzzle of why since the 1990s Germany has become a leader in renewables while phasing out nuclear energy, whereas Japan has used less renewables while becoming a leader in nuclear power. The interdisciplinary analysis takes into account technological, economic and political development. Its findings challenge many widespread beliefs for example about the significance of Fukushima disaster, the influence of nuclear lobbies, the politics of coal, and climate change concerns. The novel analytical framework used in the paper can be used for analysing other national differences in the adoption of low-carbon energy.
Click on the link to view the full publication: Cherp, A., Vinichenko, V., Jewell, J., Suzuki, M. and Antal, M. 2016. Comparing electricity transitions: a historical analysis of nuclear, wind and solar power in Germany and Japan. Energy Policy
Highlights are also explained in the Political Economy of Energy Transitions blog