The development and survival of nuclear power around the world has only been possible thanks to the support of the state. State involvement with civil nuclear uses goes back to the dawn of the industry and continues today. It is not just a mere financial contribution. It includes the creation of new institutions and industrial firms, the elaboration of specific laws and special tax regimes, training people, supplying materials and storing nuclear waste. There are so many ways in which the State contributed to build, run and close nuclear power plants, that no effort has ever been made to carefully identify them and quantify them. This is a first attempt to identify and quantify the State involvement in the development of nuclear power in Spain from its beginning to the moratorium in 1983.

In order to complete the map, we have looked for sources beyond our borders. The technological and economic transfers involved, required negotiations at the state level, mostly, but not only, with the two nuclear leaders: the USA and France. Both of which had their own state web supporting nuclear power. Within Spanish borders, we have used Government and industry reports as well as secondary sources. The result is a comprehensive atlas of State involvement in the development of nuclear power in Spain from 1960s-1980s, which will help to understand more accurately the actual size, costs and benefits of the sector.

This presentation is based on work co-authored by Joseba de la Torre.