Response : Economics of Nuclear Power

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the general aspects of technological innovations and their criteria of introduction and also discusses some of the specific technological, organizational, and political factors that set nuclear power development apart from the problems encountered in the launching of other new products. The chapter further discusses the future development of conventional power as it affects the prospects of atomic energy and identifies the areas in nuclear power in which the major improvements may be expected. The results are undoubtedly favorable to much more extensive use of atomic power. Nuclear power must necessarily undergo that filtering mechanism that allows only few innovations to become commercial products. This mechanism of selection has a powerful economic component, which depends upon the interpretations of the cost structure made by the builder of the equipment. The prices for nuclear materials and processing services are established by government fiat. The commercial future of nuclear power will depend on the cost differential between it and conventional power.