Nuclear Power Generation Flashcards
High Hopes for Nuclear Energy
- “Turning of swords into plowshares”
- From bombs we realize we can use fission to create energy
- Thought that we were going to have energy “too cheap to meter”
Purchases & Cancellations of Nuclear Plants
(1) Immediately, almost everyone starts to order nuclear power plants.
(2) But, things start to go south
- Energy crisis of 1970’s - drives up cost of nuclear power plants dramatically.
(3) Energy companies start to cancel all of these nuclear power plants. First time utility commissions realize they cannot trust energy power plants.
(4) After 1990, almost no new nuclear power plants (but Georgia)
- 40% of nuclear power plants were cancelled
- Around 20% of our power comes from nuclear, stable.
Accidents & Safety
(1) Three Mile Island: killed no one, nothing seriously bad happened. The inception of a partial meltdown, not even a meltdown.
(2) Chernobyl: A meltdown, but completely different design and poorly run.
(3) Renewed hope in GWB years:
- Tax credits
- But Fukushima, most entities withdraw their applications, except Vogel.
- Now, almost every plant will phase out in 25 years.
(4) Fukushima: really, despite everything, not that bad
- Most people in Japan consider that zero people died in Fukushima.
- Arguably a bad idea to build right on coast.
Regulation of Nuclear Power
Part 50 Process
A. Part 50 Process (old system)
Two Stage process
(1) Construction permit stage: Complete licensing proceeding at the time you are planning before you can start to build (full EIS, etc)
(2) Then, for operating license, have to do the exact same thing again.
B. Criticisms: Gave opponents two times to litigate, were able to make same kind of arguments twice.
Nuclear Power Regulation
Part 52 Process
Three Parts
(Optional) Part 52 process Blue Ridge
(1) Early site permit process – breaks off everything else and asks “is this a safe place to build a nuclear power plant”
- Entirely optional
- Limits opponents who don’t want a power plant in that area to one fight.
(2) Design Certification Process (optional)– breaks off design and makes that a separate certificate.
- The NRC wants to have pre-approved designs that don’t have to be approved each time in different sites.
- This takes place as a notice and comment procedure in DC. Problem is, most locals wouldn’t know about the issue. Therefore, once the design is certified, the locals cannot bring any claims.
- No EIS, only a EA process (one question: tell us all the safety mechanisms you did not adopt, and why)
(3) Combined Operating License
- Both permits are combined into one permit
- Both the site and design are then litigated.
Part 53
- Part 53 may provide regulatory structure for advanced nuclear program (small nuclear reactors, thorium?)
State-Based Economic Protection for Nuclear Plants
(1) Vogle plant cost overruns have convinced utility executives that nuclear power plants cannot be built and wind mills are so cheap, that a lot of executives are turning off the plants.
- But, if you like clean energy, this is incredibly concerning.
(2) So, state legislators have started to subsidize the nuclear power plant industry.
- So, small resurgence of wanting to restart nuclear power
Small Modular Reactors and Advanced Nuclear
(1) SMR: basically, the US navy can do it, and it hasn’t killed anyone. So, we can probably do it.
(2) Another reason why nuclear power plants are so expensive is because of craft labor – moving specialized labor to location is incredibly expensive.
- So, the industry has said, what if we just build these small reactors in one factory, and then ship them out.
- We want to create economies of repeat production.
Five Categories of Nuclear Energy Regulation
Five Categories of Nuclear Energy Regulation
(1) Uranium mining
(2) Nuclear power plant licensing
(3) Atomic incident liability regimes (Price-Anderson Act)
(4) Low-level nuclear waste disposal
(5) High-level nuclear waste disposal
