Nuclear Power Plant Basics What was the Promise

Nuclear Power Plant Basics

What was the Promise of Nuclear Power? n n Economic Cost n Power too cheap to meter n Nuclear fusion – cheap power and no waste Environmental costs of alternatives n Coal – dirty and dangerous to mine n Wind farms, solar, hydroelectric Strategic issues n Why did France push for 100% nuclear power? How does global warming change the 2

The Opposition to Nuclear Power n n Site specific opposition n Mothers for Peace General Opposition n Sierra Club Nuclear Free Future 3

The Problem of Nuclear Waste n n Why not just take nuclear waste to the land fill or burn it up? n How long does it last? n Where do we dispose of nuclear power plant waste in the US? n What has stopped the development of a central depository at Yucca Mountain? n Where is the waste kept now? Is preventing the disposal of waste a 4 smart strategy for stopping nuclear

Nuclear Power Plant Permitting in 1970 n n Building permit n Required before construction n Required full plans n Public hearings were allowed n NEPA added in 1968 Operating permit n After construction. n Public hearings n Allowed a second bite at all the objections 5

REACTOR SAFETY 6

Reactor Design - Traditional The failure mode is melt down with loss of coolant. 7

Paying for Accidents n n Price-Anderson Act n Allows claims, but limits liability of the industry n 1 st $300 m - private insurance n $300 M-$10 B - risk pool n Over $13. 6 B - federal government What would the costs of a big accident include? n Japan nearly doubles Fukushima disaster-related cost to $188 billion 8

THE END OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE US NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY 9

The Cost of Delay Meets Interest Rates 10

Three Mile Island - March 28, 1979 Location 11

Whoops! (Washington Public Power Supply System) A $2 Billion Blunder 12

Chernobyl - 26 April 1986 A graphite reactor without a containment vessel. The reactor itself burned when it melted and created a huge cloud of radioactive particles. 13

Fukushima Accident 2011 n n Images Information on the accident: n http: //www. worldnuclear. org/info/Safety-and. Security/Safety-of-Plants/Fukushima. Accident/ 14

Stopped here 15

Where are We Now? n n Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant Begins Slow Process of Closing n What is drive nuclear power out of business? n New England Using More Natural Gas Following Vermont Yankee Closure n What are the carbon implications? New York Offers $7. 6 Billion Bailout To Some Nuclear Plants, Forces Others To Shut Down 16

How do you Protect the Environment? n n n Containment Seismic and flood safety Fail safe reactor designs n A future for nuclear energy: pebble bed reactors Modular reactors Manage fuel properly Can you eliminate all risk? n What are the tradeoffs? 17

Background for Vermont Yankee n n Atomic Energy Commission – until 1974 n Regulates both bombs and civilian uses of atomic energy. n Both promotes and regulates. Nuclear Regulatory Commission – starts 1974 n Only regulates NRC fast track program for new reactors NEPA n Passed better the issuance of the building 18 permit and the operating permit.