RE: NRC close to vote on new Westinghouse nuke reactor

["J. Andrew Tompkins" <jatalbq@mindspring.com>]

Glen,
The 600 MW units were intended to be modular, so if you need 1200 MW at a
site you built two of them.  As to the cost to benefit, I do not believe
that Westinghouse would even propose a reactor that was not a significant
improvement in cost to benefit.  One issue is whether or not NRC's new
reactor construction and operation licensing regulations work.  Much of the
cost to benefit improvement comes from a finished design at the outset of
construction, a short construction period, and pre-approved operating license.

The real issue with the new generation of reactor designs, is whether
anyone will invest a billion dollars to build a new nuclear reactor under
any circumstance!  Several years ago, I heard a gentleman from Edision
Electric Institute (predecessor to NEI) propose a joint Industry/Government
investment in the first of the new units.

Andy Tompkins
Woodstock, GA  

jatalbq@mindspring.com

At 04:34 PM 5/15/99 -0500, you wrote:
>The biggest question is whether the smaller reactor can pump out enough MWe
>($) to pass a cost-benefit analysis.  Isn't this model only in the 600 MWe
>range?  I heard talk long ago that one of the reasons it could do with less
>emergency core cooling support was due to a lower power density in the core
>as compared to current PWRs. ..........
>............... 
>Glen
>glen.vickers@ucm.com <mailto:glen.vickers@ucm.com> 
>



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