Giuliani on Nuclear Energy

He noted that America "invented the peaceful use of nuclear power" and has never lost a life to nuclear energy production, yet hasn't licensed a new nuclear power plant in about 30 years while nations such as France derive most of their electricity this way.

For NEI's Giuliani file, click here.

Comments

Robert Synnott said…

America invented the peaceful use of atomic power? Doubtful. The first power plants were in Britain and the Soviet Union.

July 24, 2007 at 3:32 PM

Anonymous said…

According to Wikipedia...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power

"Electricity was generated for the first time by a nuclear reactor on December 20, 1951 at the EBR-I experimental station near Arco, Idaho, which initially produced about 100 kW."

"On June 27, 1954, the world's first nuclear power plant to generate electricity for a power grid started operations at Obninsk, USSR. The reactor produced 5 megawatts (electrical), enough to power 2,000 homes."

"The world's first commercial nuclear power station, Calder Hall in Sellafield, England was opened in 1956 with an initial capacity of 50 MW (later 200 MW). The Shippingport Reactor (Pennsylvania, 1957) was the first commercial nuclear generator to become operational in the United States."

Based on that synopsis I would have to say that America did invent the peaceful use of atomic power for electricity generation even though the Soviet Union and Britain had grid-supplying/commerical plants before the US.

July 27, 2007 at 2:42 PM

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