The development of nuclear-fueled steam-electric plants
underwent substantial change in the 1970s.At the beginning of the decade,
orders for nuclear-fueled plants were increasing to a peak of 38 per year.
Following the oil crisis of 1973 to 1974, changes in the
economy began to affect the cost of, and consequently the demand for, electric
power. Opposition to the use of nuclear energy for electric power production
increased; litigation was frequently employed.
Near the end of the decade, sociopolitical aspects of
nuclear-fueled plants became as involved and time-consuming as the technical
aspects. In order to participate effectively in the design, construction, and
operation of nuclearfueled plants, one must be familiar with the energy
perspective; the concerns about the use of nuclear energy; and the functions of
advocates, intervenors, and regulators.
With the maturity of the nuclear-fueled plants, more
emphasis was placed on project management (Pederson 1978). Siting of the plants
became a major task (Winter and Conner 1978). Because of the reduced demand for
electric power, the increased cost of money, and the difficulty of resolving
the objections raised, orders for nuclear-fueled plants began to decrease
sharply after the middle of the decade.
Some orders were canceled. Then in March 1979, a major
accident occurred at the Three Mile Island plant, causing serious damage to the
plant. This event raised questions about the operation of nuclear fueled plants
and a review of the value of nuclear energy (Rubenstein 1979).
At the end of the decade, orders for new nuclear-fueled
plants had been reduced to zero and a sizable number of plant orders had been
canceled.
The beginning of the decade of the 1980s saw reinforcement
of the need for commercial use of nuclear energy (Greenhalgh 1980), but also
heralded changes in the safety, control, and maintenance systems. In the
electrical area, the most notable changes were the redesign of control rooms
and stations and the increased use of computers in more sophisticated safety
systems (Hanes et al. 1982).
The study of incidents and malfunctions by means of
computers has provided another means to inform and guide operators and to
evaluate possible trouble spots (Kaplan 1983). The availability and capability
of the microprocessor has provided new ways to improve the safety and
performance of
plant instrumentation, control, and safety systems.
With fewer new nuclear plants being built worldwide than
originally anticipated, much attention has been on methods to achieve “life
extension” of present plants (retrofitting to allow operation beyond the
traditional 20-year life cited for power plants).
At the same time, procedures for decontamination and
decommissioning of plants being shut down are being refined. The NRC is
simultaneously developing streamlined procedures for licensing new plants, with
the anticipation that utilities may turn to nuclear energy in the future in the
form of the new passive-safe type reactors.
This effort, the deregulation of the utility industry in the
United States, plus the possible emphasis on nuclear energy as a way to meet
goals for reduction of CO2 greenhouse gases (Schmidt 1998), could have a
profound effect on the evolution of the nuclear industry.
There has been a growing belief in recent years that a
‘rebirth” of nuclear energy has begun. This has been driven by the rapid
increase in oil process coupled with a desire by countries like the U.S. To
achieve energy independence, while future energy needs will be met by a
combination of conservation plus use of a wide range of energy sources (solar,
wind, bio renewable energy sources).
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