February 15, 2008

U.S. a paper tiger in nuclear power

Dr. Robert Peltier, PE Editor-in-Chief

Behind the power curve

The trend should be abundantly clear: Most of the growth in the nuclear power industry is already under way in India, Asia, and Russia, and those countries have made firm commitments for more in the future. The G8 countries represent 65% of the world’s economy but are home to only six of the 27 units currently under construction, including Watts Bar 2.

There’s no denying that the drumbeat for nuclear power in the U.S. is louder today than it has been in a quarter-century. In the past month alone, Duke Energy and PPL have announced their interest in building new plants, joining a half-dozen other utilities, while Areva and Mitsubishi submitted their reactor designs to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for certification. Those two new designs join the Westinghouse/Toshiba AP-1000 and GE’s advanced boiling water reactor and economic simplified boiling water reactor designs, which are already approved and being marketed.

The UK also wants to refresh its nuclear capability, given that most of the country’s 19 reactors are due for retirement within the next 15 years. Prime Minister John Hutton said in a January address to Parliament, “I invite energy companies to bring forward plans to build and operate new nuclear power stations.” If the Brits complete their first plant by 2020, the UK’s program will then be several years behind America’s.

Attitude matters

I recognize that little can be done today to accelerate U.S. nuclear plant expansion plans. However, what I suggest is that Americans, as a nation, recognize that development of a robust nuclear power infrastructure is vital to the country’s future economic well-being. Understanding that need will require a change in attitude.

Russia, China, and India have made nuclear power a national priority and are pouring concrete and fabricating steel this very minute. Meanwhile, the U.S. is generating only mountains of paper. Unlike those Bengal tigers my executive buddy recently saw in India, we can offer only paper tigers.