Reopening the nuclear option

With new orders for baseload power plants stalled in this country, what would it take to rekindle utility interest in the nuclear option EPRI asked the question, and utilities answered specifically: the plants must be simpler and have higher design margins and enhanced safety features; they must be economically competitive with other forms of generation; they must be standardized; and they must be prelicensed by the NRC. As tall as this order may seem, four advanced light water reactors (ALWRs) - all based on these utility requirements - are being designed by three major vendors, and a version of one of these plants is actually under construction in Japan. Just recently, the NRC issued final design approvals for two of the designs and also issued a favourable safety evaluation report on the EPRI Utility Requirements Document. Working closely with utilities, industry groups, and regulatory agencies, EPRI is making a key contribution to the reopening of the nuclear option. 6 figs.