Potential growth of nuclear and coal electricity generation in the US [electronic resource]
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Online Access |
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| Corporate Authors: | , |
| Format: | Government Document Electronic eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Washington, D.C. : Oak Ridge, Tenn. :
United States. Office of Nuclear Energy, Science, and Technology ; distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy,
1989.
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| Abstract: | Electricity demand should continue to grow at about the same rate as GNP, creating a need for large amounts of new generating capacity over the next fifty years. Only coal and nuclear at this time have the abundant domestic resources and assured technology to meet this need. However, large increase in both coal and nuclear usage will require solutions to many of the problems that now deter their increased usage. For coal, the problems center around the safety and environmental impacts of increased coal mining and coal combustion. For nuclear, the problems center around reactor safety, radioactive waste disposal, financial risk, and nuclear materials safeguards. This report assesses the impacts associated with a range of projected growth rates in electricity demand over the next 50 years. The resource requirements and waste generation resulting from pursuing the coal and nuclear fuel options to meet the projected growth rates are estimated. The fuel requirements and waste generation for coal plants are orders of magnitude greater than for nuclear. Improvements in technology and waste management practices must be pursued to mitigate environmental and safety concerns about electricity generation from both options. 34 refs., 18 figs., 14 tabs. |
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| Item Description: | Published through the Information Bridge: DOE Scientific and Technical Information. 08/01/1989. "pnl-6977" "DE89017902" Merrill, E.T.; Bloomster, C.H. |