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The U.S. Nuclear Power Industry: Past, Present, and Possible Futures

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  • John L. Jurewitz

    (Southern California Edison and Pomona College)

Abstract

Although the United States generates only about 20% of its total electricity from nuclear power, it has almost twice as much nuclear generation capacity as any other country. This article presents an historical overview of the U.S. nuclear power industry and the policies that have shaped it. The U.S. nuclear industry is currently at a crossroads. The total number of nuclear powerplants has been virtually constant for over a decade. Over the coming years, it seems likely that the owners of most existing plants will succeed in securing extensions of their operating licenses. The critical question is whether new nuclear capacity will be built. Although it seems likely that some utility will attempt to build a new nuclear plant within the next decade, any such attempt will encounter a degree of public opposition based on environmental and security concerns. The ultimate outcome of this social confrontation is difficult to forecast.

Suggested Citation

  • John L. Jurewitz, 2002. "The U.S. Nuclear Power Industry: Past, Present, and Possible Futures," Energy & Environment, , vol. 13(2), pages 207-237, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:engenv:v:13:y:2002:i:2:p:207-237
    DOI: 10.1260/0958305021501182
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bier, Vicki & Joosten, James & Glyer, David & Tracey, Jennifer & Welsh, Michael, 2001. "Deregulation and Nuclear Power Safety: What Can We Learn from Other Industries?," The Electricity Journal, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 49-60, May.
    2. Steve Cohn, 1990. "The Political Economy of Nuclear Power (1945–1990): The Rise and Fall of an Official Technology," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(3), pages 781-811, September.
    3. Martin B. Zimmerman, 1982. "Learning Effects and the Commercialization of New Energy Technologies: The Case of Nuclear Power," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 13(2), pages 297-310, Autumn.
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