Nuclear Energy

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.

Report
Civilian Nuclear Programs in India and Pakistan
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...
Jan 1, 1996
Journal Article
Why Does Nuclear Power Performance Differ Across Europe?
Compares the performance of nuclear power plants in five European countries by estimating a microeconomic model of managerial decision making.
Jan 1, 1995
Testimony
Adequate Control of Weapon-Usable Fissile Materials
The prepared statement first describes the difficulties in the current ways of controlling fissile materials that can be used to make nuclear bombs.
Jan 1, 1994
Research Brief
Controlling the Flow of Weapon-Usable Fissile Materials
An expansive view of the proliferation threat. They recommend a bold course of action for controlling the flow of weapon-usable fissile materials from both civilian and military sources.
Jan 1, 1994
Journal Article
Proportional Hazard Regression Models for Point Processes: An Analysis of Nuclear Power Plant Operations in Europe
The safety and reliability of nuclear power have been hotly debated in the last 30 years.
Jan 1, 1994
Report
Stochastic process analysis for nuclear power plant operations
Stochastic process analysis for nuclear power plant operations
Jan 1, 1994
Journal Article
V-230 Performance: How Good Is It Really?
V-230s deteriorate over time, while Western reactors generally improve.
Jan 1, 1994
Report
Plutonium for Japan's Nuclear Reactors: Paying Both the Proliferation and Dollar Price to Assure Long Term Fuel Supply
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.
Jan 1, 1993
Report
History, Structure, and Institutional Overview of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982
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; ...
Jan 1, 1986
Report
Origins, Goals, and Tactics of the U.S. Anti-Nuclear Protest Movement
This Note describes the origins, goals and tactics of the anti-nuclear-weapons and anti-nuclear-energy protest movements in the United States; characterizes American anti-nuclear protest activities of the past several years, and compares them with an...
Jan 1, 1985
Report
The costs of closing nuclear power plants
This paper presents methods for estimating the full costs of closing nuclear power plants. It (1) reviews recent studies of the economic costs of closing the Indian Point and Zion nuclear generating facilities, (2) offers methods for synthesizing the...
Jan 1, 1985
Report
An Evaluation of Alternative Safety Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants
Assesses approximately 90 safety criteria and goals for the nuclear power industry that have been proposed over the past two years in the United States and elsewhere.
Jan 1, 1982
Report
Total Cost Estimates for Closing Indian Point
Based on a review of existing studies, the authors advance a method for estimating the total costs associated with the premature closure of a nuclear power plant facility.
Jan 1, 1982
Report
Science policy by referendum: voter choice on the California nuclear energy initiative
Examines the results of a study of Californians' attitudes toward nuclear power and the nuclear power initiative. The paper attempts to draw conclusions about the public's potential role in science policymaking. Most survey respondents knew very li...
Jan 1, 1981
Report
Evaluating nuclear power : voter choice on the California Nuclear Energy Initiative
Evaluating nuclear power : voter choice on the California Nuclear Energy Initiative
Jan 1, 1979
Report
Evaluating nuclear power : voter choice on the California Nuclear Energy Initiative, executive summary
Evaluating nuclear power : voter choice on the California Nuclear Energy Initiative, executive summary
Jan 1, 1979
Report
Evaluating nuclear power : voter choice on the California Nuclear Energy Initiative, technical appendixes
Evaluating nuclear power : voter choice on the California Nuclear Energy Initiative, technical appendixes
Jan 1, 1979
Report
Soviet Nuclear Energy: Domestic and International Policies
Brought together here are data on Soviet agreements for nuclear cooperation, nuclear power plants in the USSR, characteristics of Soviet reactor designs, enrichment services, and projected plutonium production and uranium consumption for the USSR ...
Jan 1, 1979
Report
A Comparison of the Capital Costs of Light Water Reactor and Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor Power Plants
One input into an overall study designed to estimate the relative costs of generating electricity by light water reactors (LWR) and liquid metal fast breeder reactors (LMFBR).
Jan 1, 1979
Report
An Examination of Alternative Nuclear Breeding Methods
Examines the relative costs of four possible means of producing electrical energy-- (LWR), (LMFBR), the fusion hybrid reactor, and the accelerator-driven reactor coupled with thermal converter reactors.
Jan 1, 1978

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Thomas Van Bibber

M.Phil. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND

Thomas Van Bibber is an assistant policy researcher at RAND and an M.Phil. student at Pardee RAND Graduate School. He has a B.A. in public policy studies with a minor in physics from Duke University. Prior to joining Pardee RAND, he was an associate in the private sector, where he provided…

D. Sean Barnett

Senior Engineer

Sean Barnett is a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation. He is a defense analyst, nuclear engineer, and attorney, with 30 years of experience leading research in the fields of national security, energy, and law. At RAND, most of his work has involved military operational assessments and…

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Nuclear Energy

Civilian Nuclear Programs in India and Pakistan

Why Does Nuclear Power Performance Differ Across Europe?

Adequate Control of Weapon-Usable Fissile Materials

Controlling the Flow of Weapon-Usable Fissile Materials

Proportional Hazard Regression Models for Point Processes: An Analysis of Nuclear Power Plant Operations in Europe

Stochastic process analysis for nuclear power plant operations

V-230 Performance: How Good Is It Really?

Plutonium for Japan's Nuclear Reactors: Paying Both the Proliferation and Dollar Price to Assure Long Term Fuel Supply

History, Structure, and Institutional Overview of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982

Origins, Goals, and Tactics of the U.S. Anti-Nuclear Protest Movement

The costs of closing nuclear power plants

An Evaluation of Alternative Safety Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants

Total Cost Estimates for Closing Indian Point

Science policy by referendum: voter choice on the California nuclear energy initiative

Evaluating nuclear power : voter choice on the California Nuclear Energy Initiative

Evaluating nuclear power : voter choice on the California Nuclear Energy Initiative, executive summary

Evaluating nuclear power : voter choice on the California Nuclear Energy Initiative, technical appendixes

Soviet Nuclear Energy: Domestic and International Policies

A Comparison of the Capital Costs of Light Water Reactor and Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor Power Plants

An Examination of Alternative Nuclear Breeding Methods

Research conducted by

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