Analysis of nuclear power plant construction costs

Technical Report · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6071600· OSTI ID:6071600

The objective of this report is to present the results of a statistical analysis of nuclear power plant construction costs and lead-times (where lead-time is defined as the duration of the construction period), using a sample of units that entered construction during the 1966-1977 period. For more than a decade, analysts have been attempting to understand the reasons for the divergence between predicted and actual construction costs and lead-times. More importantly, it is rapidly being recognized that the future of the nuclear power industry rests precariously on an improvement in the cost and lead-time situation. Thus, it is important to study the historical information on completed plants, not only to understand what has occurred to also to improve the ability to evaluate the economics of future plants. This requires an examination of the factors that have affected both the realized costs and lead-times and the expectations about these factors that have been formed during the construction process. 5 figs., 22 tabs.

• Research Organization: USDOE Energy Information Administration, Washington, DC. Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels
• OSTI ID: 6071600
• Report Number(s): DOE/EIA-0485; ON: DE86008419
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290600* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy
CONSTRUCTION
COST
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS