Negotiating Nuclear Power Project Agreements in Emerging Economies—Safeguarding Local Community Interests

Emerging economies in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam) and sub-Saharan Africa (Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya) have shown an inclination to embark on nuclear power programs to support growing energy demand and reduce emissions. However, while these nations have continued to show strong interest in nuclear energy, there are several barriers as well as risks associated with incorporation of nuclear energy into their grids. One such barrier is associated with the technological and, in several cases, financial dependence of emerging economies on foreign vendors of nuclear technology. This dependence may lead to unequal negotiation dynamics where the interests of local communities impacted by a nuclear power project may not take precedence. This article emphasizes this challenge and seeks to point to promising future directions of research to understand how nuclear power projects may be negotiated to safeguard the interests of local communities while enabling successful project implementation.