Nuclear electric power and the proliferation of nuclear weapon states

Journal Article · · Int. Secur.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/2626659· OSTI ID:7084886

Walske, C

Control and elimination of the strategic nuclear weapons held by the nuclear weapon states remains the central problem in the arms control and disarmament field. Whether the proliferation of nations with nuclear weapons can be stopped is dubious. A sovereign nation will launch a nuclear weapons program if it has the motivation and resource. Motivation depends on military and political considerations. The necessary resources are economic and technological. Conditions in some sovereign states explain this issue. A survey of commercial nuclear power programs outside the USA lists 45 countries using or planning to use nuclear reactors for power generation. There are currently 112 reactors now operating outside the United States, 117 more under construction, 60 on order, and 180 planned. The U. S. as of December 1976 has 64 operating reactors, 72 under construction, 84 on order, and 8 planned. Nuclear trade and export policies are discussed. In this article, Mr. Walske says that American industry is convinced that the need for nuclear energy abroad is more urgent than in the United States; that in the long run, the breeder reactor must be developed to enable the supply of nuclear fuel to last for centuries; and that the experience of American industry abroad has convinced it that emphasis on restrictive, denial type policies will almost certainly fail--a collapse of what has been gained through the test ban treaty and the nonproliferation treaty. (MCW)

• Research Organization: Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc., New York
• OSTI ID: 7084886
• Journal Information: Int. Secur.; (United States), Journal Name: Int. Secur.; (United States) Vol. 1:3; ISSN INTSD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210000 -- Nuclear Power Plants
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290600* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450202 -- Explosions & Explosives-- Nuclear-- Weaponry-- (-1989)
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC POWER
ENERGY POLICY
EQUIPMENT
EXPLOSIONS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
MILITARY EQUIPMENT
NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
POWER
POWER GENERATION
POWER PLANTS
PROLIFERATION
SECURITY
STOCKPILES
TECHNOLOGY UTILIZATION
TESTING
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TREATIES
WEAPONS