Cooperative Planning:Building a Sustainable Nuclear Industry

Megan SharrowUniversity of Wisconsin – Madison

WISE 2006

An OverviewWhy is nuclear power

important?

Identifying the steps to sustainability.

How to turn barriers to building blocks.

Summary of recommendations

Q&A

Why is nuclear power important? It’s 20%.

From: Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-906, “Power Plant Report.”

Electric power generation by source during 2004

Clean1

700 million tons of carbon dioxide1.1 million tons of nitrogen oxide 3.3 million tons of sulfur dioxide

Safe2

0 deaths due to commercial reactor accidents in the U.S.

50 total deaths due to international and defense reactor accidents

500+deaths in coals mines for 2005 alone500+deaths in single oil accident in Nigeria, 19983,500 deaths from 2 dam failures in India, 1979-

80

Why is nuclear power important? It’s clean & safe.

2. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf06app.htm1. http://www.nei.org/index.asp?catnum=2&catid=346

Why is nuclear power important? It’s reliable.

Source Capacity FactorNuclear 89.6

Coal 72.6Hydro 29.3Wind 26.8Solar 18.8

Average Capacity Factors bySource for 2005

Source: http://www.nei.org/documents/U.S._Capacity_Factors_by_Fuel_Type.pdf

1. New plants Maintain 20%, possibly more

2. Interim waste storage Consolidation and Preparation

(CAP) Facilities

3. Research and development Global Nuclear Energy Partnership

4. Permanent disposal Yucca Mountain

Steps to Sustainability

1. New plants: Nuclear Power 2010 and 2005 Energy Policy Act

Barriers to Building Blocks

Loan guaranteesTax creditsExtended risk insurance

1. www.cleansafeenergy.org

Create domestic jobs1

Construction: 1,300-2000 per plantOperation: 300-500 per plant

Indefinite process

Licensing

No domesticInternational slow

High capital cost

Infrastructure

Financing

Combined stepsModerated stalling

2. Interim storage: On-site to off-site

Barriers to Building Blocks

Legitimate concern or unfounded fear?

Transportation

CO$T:

Tax payer vs. Rate payer

MythBusters!

Photos from: http://www.nei.org/doc.asp?docid=632

Superficial damage

120-ton locomotive traveling at 80 miles an hour

vs.Transport container on a flatbed trailer

3. Research and development: Collaboration and exploration

Barriers to Building Blocks

Collaboration

Leadership=

Time

Money

Effort

+Secure energy

Global energy Reduce waste

4. Permanent disposal: The Nuclear Waste Management and Disposal Act

Barriers to Building Blocks

Indefinite

Insufficient

Non-existent

Licensing

Financing

Infrastructure

2 years + 6 monthsNuclear Waste FundRailroads and offices

4. Permanent disposal Yucca Mountain should be

expedited through modifying the existing legislation.

1. New plants Nuclear Power 2010 and 2005

Energy Policy Act should continue as scheduled.

2. Off-site interim storage CAP facilities should be placed near

research sites and Yucca.

3. Research and development GNEP should be coordinated

amongst domestic and international communities.

Summary of Recommendations

Questions?

1. New Plants

Obstacles to AchievementUntested licensing process

Updated in 1992

Significant financial risk

Highest capital cost

Lack of infrastructureNo domestic plants constructed for 20 years

International waiting list

2. Off-Site Interim Storage

Obstacles to AchievementUnfounded transportation concerns

1. EPRI Technical Report, “Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation,” 2004.

8 accidents involving casks in U.S.1

4 of these involved casks carrying waste

Worst accident: truck rollover in 1971

Results: no releases of radiation

3. Research and Development

Obstacles to Achievement

Partnerships To share costs

Aid in deployment

Undeveloped mission plan for Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP)Wants:

Needs:

Secure, global energy production

Limit spread of advanced technologies

Small-scale reactors to small nations

Reprocessing, enriching in weapon-states

4. Permanent Disposal

Obstacles to Achievement Unrealistic standards

1,000,000 year design analysis

Insufficient incentives for completionFinancing and managing

Alternatives temporarily postponed1

Public oppositionMassive transportation of waste

Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY)

Anti-nuclear desire to stop industry 1. Department of Energy Report, “Alternative Means of Financing and Managing the Civilian radioactive Waste Management Program,” August 2001.

1. Building New Infrastructure

Barriers to Building BlocksLicensing process already begun

Fewer opportunities for stalling

Significant financial securitiesLoan guarantees, tax creditsExtended risk insurance

Domestic infrastructure Create jobs1

Construction: 1,300-2000 per plantOperation: 300-500 per plant

Re-establish manufacturingBXW Technologies Inc.21. www.cleansafeenergy.org 2. Nucleonics, May 25 2006.

2. Transporting Waste

Barriers to Building BlocksOpportunity to dispel transportation concerns

Build public faith for transport to Yucca Mountain

Strategic location of CAP facilities

Deliver candidate fuel to research facilities

Expedite eventual disposal

3. Developing a Mission Plan for GNEP

Barriers to Building Blocks Encourage international collaboration

Establish partnerships

Fortify sense of global investment

Support innovation at national labs and universities

Enable scientific pursuits a la Space Race

Ensure U.S. remains among global leaders of nuclear industry

4. Expediting Yucca Mountain

Barriers to Building Blocks Nuclear Fuel Management and Disposal Act

Numerous provisionsSets limit on review of “receive and possess” license

Repeals statutory limit on repository

Allows commencement of infrastructure construction

Suggests alternative means of financing

Steps in right direction

Needs closer inspection

1. Department of Energy Report, “Alternative Means of Financing and Managing the Civilian radioactive Waste Management Program,” August 2001.