The purpose of this report is to provide the reader with a comprehensive, yet simplified presentation of the major issues relevant to the question: How Practical Is Nuclear Power, Now and for the Future?

The report concentrates on nuclear power in the United States, but touches on international nuclear power to give the reader background and perspective. To place power in a broader context, sections on the inception of nuclear power, energy and electricity trends, and current and future electricity-generating options are also included.

Because of the large volume of published data and literature, and the diversity of source material, time and resource limitations precluded us from converting certain cost figures cited in the text into constant dollars. Most technical terms are defined where they first appear. However, to make the document more readable, some definitions appear exclusively on the definition [Glossary] page at the end of the text.

Material used in this study was derived from books, newspapers, magazines, and journal articles, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other government documents, and publications produced by utility, nuclear industry, and public interest groups. After the preliminary draft of the study was completed, it was reviewed by:

Mr. Steve Aftergood, Executive Director, Committee to Bridge the Gap
Dr. Truman Anderson, Director, Program Planning and Analysis, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Dr. Elihu Bergman, Executive Director, Americans for Energy Independence
Mr. Ken Bossong, Executive Director, Public Citizens, Critical Mass Energy Project
Mr. Eugene Cramer, Engineer, Southern California Edison
Dr. Stephen O. Dean, President, Fusion Power Associates
Dr. John Gofman, Professor Emeritus, Medical Physics, UC Berkeley
Mr. John Gray, President, ERC International
Mr. Don Hancock, Director, Southwest Research and Information Center
Dr. Dixon Hoyle, U.S. Council for Energy Awareness
Dr. Andrew Hull, Brookhaven National Laboratory
Dr. Herbert Kouts, Chairman, Department of Nuclear Energy, Brookhaven National Laboratory
Mr. James McGranery, Counsel, Scientists and Engineers for Secure Energy
Mr. Michael Mariotte, Executive Director, Nuclear Information and Resource Service
Dr. Walter Meyer, Director, Syracuse Institute for Energy Research
Mr. Robert Pollard, Union of Concerned Scientists

Other individuals, who requested anonymity, were also kind enough to assist us with the draft review process. The Association of Media Accuracy is responsible for the final content of this document.

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