Erice International Seminars 40th Session number 7

“Nuclear Power Present and Future” August 21st 2008

Richard WilsonHarvard University

Introductory remarks

In 1972 actual (busbar) nuclear costs in USA including paying off the mortgage

were 0.55 cents/kwh (Connectict Yankee)Less costly than electricity from coal.

Industry made future estimates at 1 cent/kwh

Widespread enthusiasm for nuclear powered electricity

followed by France and other countries.Dow Chemical started a plant to produce

process heat as well.

Industry leaders talked about a nuclear electric economy

(Philip N. Ross paper at back) including:

plugin hybrid carselectrically operated heat pumps

Suggested that 90% of US energy use could be nuclear electric

That possibility remains if we want it

The USA had built an infrastructureNuclear engineering Departments

Training in the Nuclear NavyMany manufacturers:

Wesinghouse, GE, Babcock and Wilcox, Combustion Engineering, General Atomic

But starting about 1980 US canceled nuclear plants, and dismantled the

infrastructure.

Coal plants which fit into a system in a similar way are still being built

If the 1975 momentum had been maintained we would have done 5 times as much as the Kyoto agreement in reducing

carbon dioxide emissions.

One major reason for the change was public opposition

which led to strong regulation

e.g Point Beach, Wisconsinstaff went from 208 (including 3 security

personnel) in 1972 to over 800 in 1982

Inherently governments must be more involved with nuclear power (waste, etc)

than for most other energy technlogies and

this leaves scope for public opposition.

The issues of this session are:Are the reasons for the turning away from

nuclear understood?Have the reasons been addressed?

Can we move forward again?Will we move forward again?