Nuclear power as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels has certain advantages—for example, it doesn't produce greenhouse gases or smog emissions. But nuclear power produces significant risks, as exemplified by the disaster at Fukushima and earlier accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. RAND has evaluated the operations of nuclear power plants in Europe, the former Soviet Union, and the United States to explore the benefits of nuclear energy in relation to the threats posed by nuclear power plants.
Research conducted by:
RAND Justice, Infrastructure, and Environment;
Environment, Energy, and Economic Development Program
All Items (71)
News Release
A federal government corporation and an independent government agency are the two most promising models for a new organization to manage and dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in the United States.
Report
A federal government corporation and an independent government agency are the two most promising models for a new organization to manage and dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in the United States.
Research Brief
RAND researchers describe the attributes of potential organizational models and the steps needed to choose the form of a new organization charged with managing and disposing of commercial and defense high-level radioactive materials.
Multimedia
At this March 2012 program, physical scientist Tom LaTourrette discusses the pros and cons of nuclear energy, and sheds some light on lessons learned in the year since Japan's nuclear disaster in Fukushima.
Past Event
At this March 2012 program, physical scientist Tom LaTourrette discusses the pros and cons of nuclear energy, and sheds some light on lessons learned in the year since Japan's nuclear disaster in Fukushima.
Report
To break the impasse over how to deal with spent nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear power plants policymakers should focus on how various waste management strategies address societal priorities related to nuclear energy.
News Release
To break the impasse over how to deal with spent nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear power plants, policymakers should focus on how various waste management strategies address societal priorities related to nuclear energy.
Report
Testimony presented before the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future on November 15, 2010.
Journal Article
Public perceptions of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and other low-carbon electricity-generating technologies may affect the feasibility of their widespread deployment.
Commentary
Published commentary by RAND staff: Dialogue Can Stop Iran at the Nuclear Threshold, in the Financial Times.
Journal Article
Nuclear Power in Eastern Europe: Learning or Forgetting Curves?
Report
This study examines whether reprocessing and plutonium recycle will make radioactive waste management more effective and economical.
Report
This paper begins with a discussion of the current and future plans of civilian nuclear development in India and Pakistan. Some civilian nuclear facilities can be used to produce highly-enriched uranium (HEU) or plutonium, the basic ingredients for m...
Journal Article
Compares the performance of nuclear power plants in five European countries by estimating a microeconomic model of managerial decision making.
Journal Article
The safety and reliability of nuclear power have been hotly debated in the last 30 years.
Journal Article
V-230s deteriorate over time, while Western reactors generally improve.
Journal Article
Stochastic process analysis for nuclear power plant operations
Report
The prepared statement first describes the difficulties in the current ways of controlling fissile materials that can be used to make nuclear bombs.
Report
This study concludes that one means of assuring energy and minimizing the potential for weapons proliferation is to develop an international nuclear fuel bank that could supply countries with energy credits.
Report
The author summarizes the key features of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA); describes the siting process for a waste repository and recent implementation history, including accomplishment of major milestones to date; ...
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