This book analyses the economic history of the nuclear program in Spain, from its inception in the 1950s to the nuclear moratorium in the early 1980s, and investigates the economic, financial and business origins of atomic energy in Spain. The actual dimension of the Spanish nuclear sector, which exceeded the relative economic and political clout of the country at the time, reflects the combination of domestic and foreign interests. Each contribution inserts the Spanish case within the international development of nuclear energy, but also shows how the Spanish nuclear program came about, how it was financed, and who the main architects and beneficiaries at the industrial, financial, commercial and banking levels were; all without losing sight of the energy policy aspects such as energy mix and energy security. The volume provides useful analysis and sources for a variety of core fields across the social sciences including economic history of post-war Europe, industrial and energy policy, international relations and history of technology.

Fills a gap in the international literature dealing with nuclear programs Offers an economic history of the Spanish case within the international framework of pioneering countries in nuclear development Places existing information into an appropriate historical context Highlights that the Spanish nuclear program can only be understood from an international perspective

Autorentext

M.d.Mar Rubio-Varas is Associate Professor at the Department of Economics at the Public University of Navarre, Spain. She is an energy economist and economic historian; her research interests focus on the long-term relationships between energy consumption and economic growth, covering aspects of energy external dependence and the transition to a low carbon economy. She has published in international journals of economic history, energy policy and environmental economics.

Joseba De la Torre is Professor of Economic History at the Public University of Navarre, Spain. He is a specialist of the industrial policy and the indicative planning of developmentalism during the Franco regime. He has been Visiting Professor at La Maison des Sciences de l'Homme in Paris, France, and at the Center for European and Mediterranean Studies of New York University, USA. He was previously Dean of Faculty of Economics and Business at the Public University of Navarre, Spain.

Inhalt

Chapter 1. Seeking the Perennial Fountain of the World's Prosperity.- Chapter 2. Who was Who in the Making of Spanish Nuclear Programme, c. 19501985.- Chapter 3. The Nuclear Business and the Spanish Electric-Banking Oligopoly: The First Steps.- Chapter 4. Human Capital and Physics Research for the Spanish Nuclear Program.- Chapter 5. How did Spain Become the Major US Nuclear Client?.- Chapter 6. An Alternative Route? France's Position in the Spanish Nuclear Program, c. 1950s1980s.- Chapter 7. The Long Road to the Trillo Nuclear Power Plant: West Germany in the Spanish Nuclear Race.- Chapter 8. Energy Planning, Nuclear Promises and Realities.