US nuclear industry efforts in utilizing PSA for regulatory applications

The operational, regulatory and economic environment confronting the United States nuclear industry today presents a unique opportunity relative to the application of probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) technology. The nuclear industry recognizes that competitive pressures from other electric generation sources demand the most efficient and effective use of finite utility resources in providing safe, yet economically priced electricity. An industry-sponsored plan is being developed in order to support the efforts by utilities and the associated industry organizations in improving operational cost-effectiveness and ensure safety benefits commensurate with implementation costs. With the availability of modern analytical tools such as PSA technology, the industry and regulatory attention and resources can be focused much more effectively in order to enhance safety levels, reduce regulatory burden and achieve more economic electricity production. This paper outlines the industry efforts to promote the use of PSA technology and provides a brief summary of several projects on topics that have been considered as good examples to support these efforts. (author). 2 refs