Evening star., 1952-12-29
Atomic Power Plants Unlikely
Soon Unless Congress Acts

has observed. industrial partlcl-
patton in the United States
Treasury"
Many Proposals by Industry.
On the technical side, much of
industry is no stranger to the
atom. Most of the atomic weapons
program-which as an industry
compares in scale with General
Motors or United States Steel-iS
managed by private contractors on
a cost-pluS basis.
Industry's interest in an atomic
electric power plant has grown
and numerous proposals have been
advanced. Most Of them rely or
the fact that reactor can be built
to produce both energy and a new
supply of fashionable materials for
sale to the Government. BY paying
enough for the latter, the Govern
ment could, in effect. absorb part
of the cost of power.
Other proposals include:
/. An industry proposal that
Acc build and own a pilot-plant
reactor. Once it is completed and
technical questions answered, in
dustry might invest in a full-scale
plant.
2. Another industry plan, from
Dow Chemical Co. and Detroit
Edison Co.: That Government re-
search be continued until tech
nical problems are solved, whereon
"the two companies would like to
build and operate a commercial
sized reactor plant using private
capital and without recourse to
governmental funds"
3. A proposal having consider
able support in Government and
industry: The Government would
build and own a reactor to make
power and plutonium: on the
same site, private utilities would
build the necessary facilities to
take off the energy and distribute
it. No change in the Atomic
Energy Act would be needed.
4. The power package" pro-
posal: This plan, under serious
Acc consideration, calls for Fed
eral construction of a small plant
in an isolated area. where con-
ventional power is excessively
high priced. Acc is now making
a survey of such marginal power
areas where atomic energy might
be competitive.
5. The all Government ap-
proach: Acc might build the first
plant and generate power for it's
own use. The atomic program. far
from adding to the countrys power
next year will be con-
suming 2l2 per cent of all power
produced.
6. The foundation proposal: Ad-
vanced by a former Acc member,
this plan suggests that private
foundations pool their funds to
finance an atomic power plant for
development purposes.
T. The offshore proposal: An
atomic power plant might pay its
way in countries where electricity
costs more than in the United
States: several have suggested
that Point Four appropriations
might be used to build a pioneer
reactor in some underdeveloped
1t is quite possible that England
will show America the way. Brit
ain repeatedly plans to start next
year the worlds first nuclear fis-
sion plant to provide power for
industry. The electricity is ex-
pected to cost about three times
what high-priced power costs in
this country.
When the United States finally
does wed industry to the atom.
Congress will be in on the match
making. The Atomic Energy Act
instructs the Acc, whenever it
believes that industrial or COM
mercial use is sufficiently devel-
oped to be of practical value, to
make report to the President for
transmission to Congress.
Until the report has been before
Congress for 80 days, no license
may be issued for the manufac-
ture, production, use or export of
fashionable materials.