A systematic approach to achieving the 1990 INPO plant performance objectives

The Chief Executive Officer of each utility with an operating nuclear power plant has made commitments to INPO to achieve certain performance levels by 1990. These commitments were made as part of the joint industry effort to improve the performance and image of nuclear power plants. The objectives established of the Salem units are very aggressive, particularly in the areas of equivalent availability and reactor trip rate. Based on the authors' review of industry performance history and the composite CEO commitments, Salem is not the only nuclear unit requiring significant improvements to achieve these performance levels. The objective value for equivalent availability requires a 20 to 30 percentage point improvement in the three-year running average performance level of the individual Salem units. The potential tangible and intangible benefits to be realized by PSE and G and its customers through the achievement of these target values are, of course, very significant. The tangible benefits are associated with reduced cost of power. The reduction in cost of power is approximately $150 million per year