ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how hierarchy has been a dominant theme of United Kingdom (UK) electricity policy, and how this has interacted with the post 1980s turn towards a more individualistic approach associated with privatisation and liberalisation, as well as post 1980s egalitarian pressures. The hierarchical influence favouring nuclear power is featured in various ways. One, suggested by academics from the Science Policy Research Unit, involves pressure from one of the UK's leading defence contractors, Rolls Royce. The early and mid-1990s were the high point of individualism in British electricity policy. In the generation sector a number of examples of a relatively new technology, gas combined cycle generation technology (CCGT) was introduced. These grew up in the new post-privatisation environment of competition. The drive for nuclear power in the UK looks increasingly beleaguered compared to renewable energy. This grew from around 2 per cent of electricity supply in the year 2000 to 26 per cent in 2015.
