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The transformation of the NRC: 50 years of commissioners
The dust is beginning to settle following the whirlwind of changes at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over the past year, and 2025 ultimately may be viewed as a transformative year, as well as the year the NRC celebrated its golden anniversary. The 12 months of that milestone year brought more change to the agency in its composition, its mandate, and its relationship to the executive branch than any comparable period in the preceding four decades.
Now at 51 years and counting, the NRC is working with a full commission and issuing new rulemakings to both regulate and support the next round of nuclear deployments. With the turbulence of 2025 still fresh in our minds, Nuclear News decided it was a good time to revisit the professional backgrounds of all 42 NRC commissioners who have served over the agency’s 50-year history to see how the composition of the commission has evolved over time.
R. A. Kadir, M. A. R. Sarkar (BUET)
Proceedings | 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 2018) | Charlotte, NC, April 8-11, 2018 | Pages 859-866
Global energy consumption is increasing even in the face of substantial declines in energy intensity. It is projected that world energy consumption will grow by 48% between 2012 and 2040. And the primary energy sources at this moment throughout the world take many forms, including nuclear energy, fossil energy like oil, coal and natural gas -- and renewable sources like wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower.
Coal is the world's slowest-growing energy source, rising by only 0.6% per year. And the liquid fuels, mostly petroleum based oil remain the largest energy source but because of rising the price of it, world marketed energy consumption is projected to fall from 33% in 2012 to 30% in 2040. On the other hand, Natural gas, which has lower carbon intensity than coal and petroleum, is the fastest-growing fossil fuel in the outlook, with global natural gas consumption increasing by 1.9% per year. Although fossil fuels still account for more than three-quarters of world energy consumption through 2040 but still non-fossil fuels are expected to grow faster than fossil fuels.
But in the present world, renewable energy and nuclear power are the world's fastest-growing energy sources over the projection period. Also with the comparison with those two major sources, renewable energy increases by an average 2.6% per year through 2040; nuclear power increases by 2.3% per year. In our future world, there will be a rapid increase of consumption of electricity. It is estimated to increase by 48% between 2012 and 2040 which demand for at least 5% of increase in nuclear electricity generating capacity by 2020. But there is a possibility of increase of consumption as much as 75%.Also the electricity demand of nuclear electricity market share is projected 17% to 19% between 2000 and 2050. For developing countries like China, India, Pakistan the share will be 2% to 11%. Total estimated amount of electricity generation is about 2.3 trillion KWh in 2012 to 4.5 trillion KWh in 2040.
Nuclear energy facilities are reliable, providing base load, on demand electricity 24/7 at 86 percent operational efficiency in 2012. The fuel used in nuclear facilities is so efficient that just one fuel pellet provides as much as one ton of coal, 149 gallons of oil and 17000 cubic feet of natural gas. Nuclear energy has perhaps the lowest impact on environment of any other energy source, as it provides zero carbon emissions. Also, Nuclear energy facilities are able to produce abundant and affordable energy, leading to a low and stable price of electricity for consumers. Electricity produced at nuclear energy facilities is one of the most affordable forms of energy from the major source of electricity.
So, it is quite clear that, nuclear energy has huge prospect. Nuclear power isn’t very expensive to make and don’t be a threat of global environment. And most importantly, it produces huge amounts of energy from small amounts of fuel. Within the confines of concern for global energy security, this paper emphasis the utilization of nuclear power of energy that should be reliable, economically attractive and acceptable from the environmental point of view.