Moral requirements for energy sources: Guidelines for decision-making in an energy transition context

Abstract

Decisions regarding which energy source to transition to should preferably be based on an objective comparison of different energy sources. To enable this, this thesis examines which moral requirements should be met by an energy source if a society is to decide to implement this source. Eight general requirements that are applicable in all contexts are derived from Alan Gewirth’s Principle of Generic Consistency. This thesis furthermore discusses how moral requirements that specifically apply to an energy transition context can be derived from these general requirements. Moreover, this thesis provides guidelines regarding how to determine which moral requirements should be given priority in case of dilemmas. The main goal of this thesis is to deliver a method which should help energy transition decision-makers to choose the best energy source. Yet while doing so, this thesis also suggests that none of the energy sources currently in existence comes close to meeting all requirements outlined here. As such, this thesis indirectly shows that as a society, we need to improve the way we generate and consume energy.