Background & Information on Nuclear Power in the United States

  • The video the right is an introduction to nuclear power and how nuclear power plants work.

  • This link will take you to a thorough history of nuclear reactors from Britannica.

  • This link will take you to a recent Zoom presentation by Dr. Arjun Makhijani, one of the country’s leading authorities on carbon-free and nuclear-free energy. The password to view his presentation is: xW7bXT?7

CURRENT STATUS OF NUCLEAR POWER IN U.S.

There have been renewed licenses issued for 94 nuclear units (8 have ceased operations). Then 8 units with 40-year licenses (Diablo Canyon will shutdown 2024/2025). Followed by 82 units have a 60-year licenses. The longest licenses are 4 units with 80-year licenses (Turkey Point and Peach Bottom). There are currently three applications under review for license extensions including Surry Power Station, Units 1 and 2, North Anna Power Station, Units 1 and 2, and Point Beach, Units 1 and 2. (source)

As of November 2020, there were 21 power reactors undergoing decommissioning as well as 2 power reactors that have permanently ceased operations: Pilgrim and Three Mile Island Unit 1. (see a map here)

EMBRITTLEMENT IN NUCLEAR REACTORS

Embrittlement is the loss of strength, ductility and resistance to cracking. In nuclear reactors, there are steel containers called reactor pressure vessels that hold nuclear fuel when the reactor is operating. Overtime, the particles (neutrons) hit that steel and that steel becomes weaker. However, some reactor pressure vessels were made with copper which is even more prone to embrittlement. This leads to embrittled reactors being more at risk of pressurized thermal shock related accident.

Information on “Aging Nuclear Power Plants focusing in particular on irradiation embrittlement of pressure vessels Nuke Info Tokyo No. 148” available here.

NOTABLE NUCLEAR REACTOR ACCIDENTS GLOBALLY

  • Fukushima Daiichi (2011)

  • Chernobyl (1986)

  • Three Mile Island (1978)

  • Enrico Fermi Unit 1 (1966)

  • SL-1 (1961)

  • Sodium Reactor Experiment (1959)

  • Windscale (1957)