August 2001 IBEW Journal
Nuclear Has An Enviable Record for Safety and Efficiency
Safety levels and electricity production regularly exceed the U. S. nuclear industry annual goals, as shown by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) year 2000 statistics. According to plant performance statistics for year 2000 that were released in March by INPO, the nations nuclear fleet continued to operate safely and reliably, while generating a record 755 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, reported Nuclear News magazine (May 2001), a publication of the American Nuclear Society. In the early 1980s, INPO created performance indicators (with input from industry and others) to provide an annual measure of nuclear plant achievements. In 1989, the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) adopted the program for measuring performance of plants around the world, reported Nuclear News. The strong WANO performance indicator results for U.S. [nuclear] plants cap an outstanding decade of performance for the industry, said Alfred Tollison, INPO executive vice president. The results show that the industry continues to place a priority on the programs and highly qualified people that make safe, reliable operations a reality. |
Part 1 - New Look at Nuclear Power: One Key Part of the Energy Mix Part 2 - Report of the National Energy Policy Development Group Part 3 - Achievements Worth Noting: Strong Safety Record and Efficiency Gains Part 5 - Growing Public Support For Nuclear Power Part 6 - Yucca Mountain and the Waste Disposal Dilemma Part 7 - Streamlined Designs Promise Lower Cost, Improved Safety For Reactors |