As electric utilities move ever closer to all-out competition, senior executives are streamlining their organizations, reducing spending, and developing strategic plans to ensure their company's...
Nuclear Plants Get High Marks
The Nuclear Energy Institute reports that nuclear power plants are exceeding performance goals for safety and reliability. In 1995, the U.S. nuclear industry:
s Achieved the highest capability factor ever: a median value of 82.6 percent. (Unit capability is a percentage of the most electricity a plant can produce, limited by plant management.)
s Reduced unplanned automatic shutdowns or scrams by almost 90 percent since 1980.
s Met safety performance in 94 percent of the systems.
s Reduced low-level solid radioactive waste (tools, rags, clothing) to a median 30 cubic meters (em far less than 1994's 110 cubic meters. (em JS t
Joseph F. Schuler, Jr. is associate editor of PUBLIC UTILITIES FORTNIGHTLY. Lori A. Burkhart is an associate legal editor.
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