The future development and acceptance of light water reactors in the U.S.
This report summarizes a two-year effort by the M.I.T. Light Water Reactor Study Group to assess the institutional, regulatory, technical, and economic factors influencing the development and deployment of LWR technology. The nuclear industry is confronted by a mix of problems which, if not...
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| Format: | Technical Report |
| Language: | en_US |
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MIT Energy Laboratory
2006
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/35218 |
| _version_ | 1811098120046510080 |
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| author | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Light Water Reactor Study Group |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Light Water Reactor Study Group |
| author_sort | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Light Water Reactor Study Group |
| collection | MIT |
| description | This report summarizes a two-year effort by the M.I.T. Light Water
Reactor Study Group to assess the institutional, regulatory, technical, and
economic factors influencing the development and deployment of LWR technology.
The nuclear industry is confronted by a mix of problems which, if not
addressed, may soon eliminate LWRs as a practical source of electric energy.
The Study Group found that technical developments could improve nuclear plant
capacity factors by 10 percent; furthermore, substantial economic benefits are
possible through better use of existing technology, further technological
improvements, and various financing schemes. However, the most pronounced
problems are institutional and social, not technical and economic. Regulatory
and institutional problems in licensing, constructing, and operating nuclear
plants have created such uncertainty in the electric utility sector that the
economic and environmental advantages of LWRs are seriously jeopardized.
Regulatory constraints, unpredictability of government policy, unnecessary
construction delays, and the resultant difficulty in obtaining the large-scale
financing needed for new plant construction all discourage the electric
utility sector from making long-term commitments to nuclear power. In the
absence of a concerted government attempt to resolve these and other problems,
public mistrust and legal intervention in the nuclear industry grow
increasingly serious. Thus, the technical and economic improvements that
could benefit the industry will be negated unless the government, the
industrial sector, the electric utilities, and the public address the
regulatory and institutional problems that are threatening to cripple the
industry. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T17:10:14Z |
| format | Technical Report |
| id | mit-1721.1/35218 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T17:10:14Z |
| publishDate | 2006 |
| publisher | MIT Energy Laboratory |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/352182019-04-12T11:28:03Z The future development and acceptance of light water reactors in the U.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Light Water Reactor Study Group Nuclear power plants |z United States. This report summarizes a two-year effort by the M.I.T. Light Water Reactor Study Group to assess the institutional, regulatory, technical, and economic factors influencing the development and deployment of LWR technology. The nuclear industry is confronted by a mix of problems which, if not addressed, may soon eliminate LWRs as a practical source of electric energy. The Study Group found that technical developments could improve nuclear plant capacity factors by 10 percent; furthermore, substantial economic benefits are possible through better use of existing technology, further technological improvements, and various financing schemes. However, the most pronounced problems are institutional and social, not technical and economic. Regulatory and institutional problems in licensing, constructing, and operating nuclear plants have created such uncertainty in the electric utility sector that the economic and environmental advantages of LWRs are seriously jeopardized. Regulatory constraints, unpredictability of government policy, unnecessary construction delays, and the resultant difficulty in obtaining the large-scale financing needed for new plant construction all discourage the electric utility sector from making long-term commitments to nuclear power. In the absence of a concerted government attempt to resolve these and other problems, public mistrust and legal intervention in the nuclear industry grow increasingly serious. Thus, the technical and economic improvements that could benefit the industry will be negated unless the government, the industrial sector, the electric utilities, and the public address the regulatory and institutional problems that are threatening to cripple the industry. "This work was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government." 2006-12-19T16:40:25Z 2006-12-19T16:40:25Z 1978-09 Technical Report 06517695 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/35218 en_US MIT-EL 78-035 3597365 bytes application/pdf application/pdf MIT Energy Laboratory |
| spellingShingle | Nuclear power plants |z United States. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Light Water Reactor Study Group The future development and acceptance of light water reactors in the U.S. |
| title | The future development and acceptance of light water reactors in the U.S. |
| title_full | The future development and acceptance of light water reactors in the U.S. |
| title_fullStr | The future development and acceptance of light water reactors in the U.S. |
| title_full_unstemmed | The future development and acceptance of light water reactors in the U.S. |
| title_short | The future development and acceptance of light water reactors in the U.S. |
| title_sort | future development and acceptance of light water reactors in the u s |
| topic | Nuclear power plants |z United States. |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/35218 |
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