ABSTRACT
The economics of nuclear power for generating electricity is determined by factors that are nontraditional with respect to comparisons with electricity derived from fossil energy. The nucleons in the nucleus are bound by various forces, mostly a somewhat mysterious nuclear binding force. The program for the application of nuclear power for ocean-going vessels was launched in the late 1940s in the United States and has resulted in a very successful array of nuclear-powered naval vessels, primarily submarines and aircraft carriers. In the United States, the regulation of nuclear energy and other nuclear applications is done by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which operates quite independent of the Department of Energy. The construction cost of the power plant is a major factor in determining the cost of electricity from a nuclear power plant. The High Level Nuclear Policy Waste Policy Act was passed in 1980 and amended in 1987 to designate Yucca Mountain as the nation’s underground waste storage site.
