Nuclear power is the Tidö parties' biggest failure

The Tidö parties' promise of cheap, easy, and fast new nuclear reactors has been exposed as their biggest policy failure, according to an opinion piece in Dagens Nyheter. The author contends that the reality of building new reactors is proving to be the exact opposite of what was advertised.

Despite the government's numerous "steps toward nuclear power," including new laws, regulations, and substantial subsidies, not a single spade has entered the ground, and no investment decisions have been made. State-owned Vattenfall, heavily pushed by the government, is the furthest along, with investment decisions anticipated between 2029 and 2030. Even with this optimistic timeline, new reactors might not be operational until 2035, a full parliamentary term away from even starting construction.

The piece suggests the government misled itself into believing reactor construction was a simple process, hindered only by environmentalists. Instead, it is expensive, difficult, and time-consuming. The author points to Finland's experience, where new reactors took 17 years from conception to operation, as a more realistic benchmark than the optimistic ten-year projection.

The failure to secure concrete progress is attributed to political deadlock, particularly between the Moderates and the Sweden Democrats. Investors in new nuclear power demand certainty that conditions will not change suddenly, a concern amplified by the government's handling of offshore wind power. After a new government took office in 2022, costs for cables were shifted to energy companies, effectively halting expansion. The author concludes that the government's energy policy has not only failed to deliver new reactors but has also stalled the expansion of wind power, highlighting a significant political and practical failure.