Swedish Municipalities & New Nuclear Power: Perceptions, Planning & Decision-Making Processes

Abstract

Swedish municipalities are placed in a decision-making position as the nation looks to bolster the nation's energy strategy with increased nuclear power. New nuclear power is posed as an exciting potential solution to the energy crisis and the need for more decarbonized energy sources. New nuclear power also consists of uncertainty, emerging technologies, and planning difficulties. This thesis engaged in semi-structured interviews with representatives of 10 of the 13 municipalities conducting new nuclear power pilot projects. The interviews aimed to better understand the municipal decision-making process relating to perceived benefits, risks, and knowledge gaps regarding new nuclear power. By engaging in dialogue regarding motivations, perceived risks, citizen engagement, and areas requiring increased competence, municipalities perceptions, planning, and decision-making processes could be better understood. The motivations were found to most heavily revolve around politics, energy demands, and community enhancement through economic development via enabling job opportunities and industry growth. Risks were less discussed compared to motivations and generally considered better left to other authorities or possible to consider when the pilot projects were further along. Knowledge gaps were identified relating to understanding citizen perceptions, options for reactor siting, authorization, technological options, environmental ramifications, infrastructural demands, and communication methods. The interview findings are discussed in tandem with theory relating to risk analysis, Rumsfeld heuristic, and cognitive biases including the framing effect and false consensus effect. These concepts are used to help explain the municipal information processing and decision-making processes relating to new nuclear power in the Swedish context.

Popular Abstract (Swedish)

Heading:

Swedish municipalities embrace the challenge of determining whether new nuclear power is the carbon-free energy solution they need and want


Introduction:

New nuclear power has become a hopeful energy frontrunner for numerous Swedish municipalities due to increased need for energy access in Sweden and the ever prevalent need for fossil-free energy. This study explores municipal perceptions of new nuclear technology and comes to find politics, energy needs, public perceptions, and technical feasibility to be integral and challenging for the decision-making process. There remains lots to be understood regarding new nuclear power in Sweden at the municipal and higher levels, but the optimism expressed towards the energy source currently appears more prevalent than the perceived potential drawbacks.

Main Text:

The climate crisis and increasing global temperatures have led to the need to decarbonize the energy grid globally. Climate goals have been deemed necessary and the Swedish government has developed their own climate action plan that includes establishing new nuclear power to further decarbonize their energy supply. The government allocated financial support to 13 municipalities who expressed interest in evaluating the feasibility of hosting new nuclear power. This thesis explores Swedish municipalities’ perceived risks and benefits, as well as knowledge gaps regarding the establishment of new nuclear power.
The benefits of new nuclear power were found to be hefty with expressed hope for increased access to reliable energy, the ability to support new and existing industry, and bolstering the local economy. Despite the complexity of engaging with new nuclear power, the risks were often underdeveloped and seen as a problem either for the future or for other authorities. The primary risks were found to relate to the expected long implementation time of new nuclear power plants which present the potential for delayed economic returns and the heavily discussed concern of shifting political tides. Politics appeared to be fueling the desire for nuclear power although, if future energy perceptions change, politics could also heavily inconvenience any municipality taking efforts to proceed with nuclear power. Other risks included not knowing whether current infrastructure could support new nuclear power, the feasibility of securing investments, the present level of social acceptance, and the potential environmental impacts.
Both the optimism and hesitations towards nuclear power were undoubtedly accompanied by gaps in knowledge about new nuclear power due to factors such as the lacking guidance, too few examples to reference, and the early stage in the municipal research into the technology. The knowledge gaps that surfaced related to the ideal selection of nuclear reactor sites, authorization processes, how the technology works and its impacts, the handling capacity of large industry, and ideal citizen communication practices. Knowledge and preparedness differences emerged between municipalities with more experience and those new to nuclear power, displaying the importance of learning from past experiences and knowledge sharing through intermunicipal dialogue.
The 11 interviews conducted offer timely understanding of the municipal energy needs, decision-making processes, and perceptions of new nuclear power. This study highlights the potential benefits of new nuclear power while also emphasizing that the decision-making process should not be rushed as there remains information missing and risks lacking in thorough consideration. For new nuclear power to have the potential to be implemented within Sweden, municipal challenges and public perception must both be addressed and embraced.

• author: Fraser Semenoff, Maria and Smith, Abigayle Gray
• supervisor: Misse Wester
• organization: Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety
• course: VBRM15 20251
• year: 2025
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Technology and Engineering
• keywords: Nuclear power, risk perception, small modular reactors, municipal decision-making
• language: English
• id: 9194521
• date added to LUP: 2025-06-09 14:24:00
• date last changed: 2025-06-09 14:24:00