Regulatory ratchet clicks, nukes are abandoned, but Nuclear Regulatory Commission envisions brighter future

Nuclear power plant construction regulations issued after the Three Mile Island accident have affected 11 plants, only five of which remain committed to construction although all are in jeopardy. A review of the cancellations identifies prohibitive costs and financing problems due to the new regulations as the deciding factor. There are three classes of new rules: a probabilistic risk assessment within two years of receiving a construction permit, stronger containment structures, and more-sophisticated hydrogen-control features. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) now appears to be joining the administration's goal of streamlining regulations, particularly in the areas of backfitting and final-design-approval rules based on standardization. Some observers are critical of the standardization approach because of plant complexity, but they foresee efforts toward simplification as manufacturers plan designs for reference approval