Unique Nuclear Reactors
An interesting list from the
Energy Information Administration.
Here is the first entry talking about the first electrical power ever generated by a reactor back in December, 1951:
Unique Reactors
In this ordinary-looking photograph, taken in Idaho in December 1951, the reader is witnessing a technological breakthrough that will change history. The light bulbs are quite ordinary but they rely on the Experimental Breeder Reactor-1 for their source of power. Years later, President Eisenhower will launch the international "Atoms for Peace" program. Idaho's National Energy and Environmental Engineering Lab web site provides a film of the EBR-1 in action.
1951: The EBR-1 and the Four Light Bulbs
Idaho might not be the first State that comes to mind when people think about the atom, but "the Gem of the Mountains" has played a significant role in developing nuclear power for more than 50 years. In 1951, the National Reactor Testing Station (now known as the Idaho National Energy and Environmental Laboratory, or INEEL) used the world's first nuclear-provided electricity to light one of its buildings. The source of the power was the Station's Experimental Breeder Reactor-1 (EBR-1), a unit that continued in service until decommissioned in 1964. More information on the EBR-1, including tours at the museum site, and on the lab's other projects, can be obtained on the INEEL web site.
Nuclear power generation is the single best way to cut CO2 emissions. The fuel is cheap, abundant and the cost of operation is minimal.
The waste is radioactive but the technology for safekeeping is available now. Coal ash is more toxic in the long term.
Posted by DaveH at December 22, 2007 8:03 PM