Alternative Institutional Arrangements for Developing and Commercializing Breeder Reactor Technology.

Assesses nine institutional arrangements, ranging from heavy private sector initiative to complete government ownership and control, for developing liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) technology beyond the Clinch River Breeder Reactor project (CRBR). Private sector involvement in the CRBR demonstration plant, scheduled for construction in 1977, has been quite limited. If LMFBR commercialization is to be the goal, the most promising arrangements have the government contributing a fixed sum to make the estimated cost of an early breeder plant roughly equal to that of the next best alternative, with a consortium of utilities sharing the open-ended risks and costs, and with one utility assuming the lead role. The emergence of one or more qualified takers would indicate that the private sector is prepared for commercialization; if there were no qualified takers, or if large additional commitments were sought from the government, a major reevaluation of the breeder program should be conducted. 174 pp. Bibliog.