• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.449-470
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• 2016

This paper analyzes the effects of nuclear power generation on industrial growth in using the data of 22 manufacturing sectors in 14 nuclear power countries. The hypothesis that the change in the proportion of nuclear power generation in total electricity generation affects industrial value-added and industrial output through industrial electricity price reduction was tested using the dynamic panel data model. First, it was estimated that the increase in nuclear power generation by a 1% leads to a 0.8% reduction in electricity price. The results indicate that when nuclear power generation increased by a 1% point, industrial value-added and output increased by 0.16% and 0.23%,respectively, in the short-run and by 0.51% and 0.85%, respectively, in the long-run. It was also inferred that the effect of nuclear generation on industrial competitiveness working through electricity price reduction rely on institutional settings in the electricity markets. That is, the competitive effect is greater in the countries such as U.K and Japan where electricity price is high and price volatility is large. Meanwhile, in Germany which has pursued phasing out nuclear power, industrial competitiveness is promoted through stable electricity supply.