MIT Interdisiplinary Study:Abbreviated Study Findings
- Cost. In deregulated markets, nuclear power is not now cost competitive with coal and natural gas.
- Safety. Modern reactor designs can achieve a very low risk of serious accidents, but “best practices” in construction and operations are essential.
- Waste. Geological disposal is technically feasible but execution is yet to be demonstrated or certain.
- Proliferation. The current international safeguards regime is inadequate to meet the security challenges of the expanded nuclear deployment contemplated in the global growth scenario.
We conclude that, over the next 50 years, the best choice to meet these challenges is the open, once-through fuel cycle.
