Steve Tritch,
Westinghouse Electric Company's new president and CEO, sees nuclear power
as an important element in a broad-based worldwide energy policy that
will provide future generations with the responsibly-generated power necessary
to fuel economic growth and worldwide standard of living improvements.
W-G: What
are the most important issues facing energy policy makers in the United
States and elsewhere in the world?
ST: Energy consumption
is increasing and will continue to do so, regardless of how well we can
conserve. At the same time, environmental considerations relative to greenhouse
gases and global warming will continue to be an issue.
Our policymakers, therefore,
are challenged to develop and then implement environmentally benign generation
programs that will provide the additional electricity necessary to power
continued economic expansion and standard-of-living enhancements throughout
the world.
W-G: Why can't
conservation and a renewed emphasis on efficiency forgo the need for significant
additions in power generation capacity?
ST: Conservation and
improved efficiency are essential elements in any program designed to
fulfill long-term energy requirements in an environmentally responsible
manner. However, conservation and efficiency alone are simply not enough.
Here's why: In 40 years, the
global population is projected to increase by 50 percent to more than
nine billion people. Assume also that the standard of living for the developing
world during that time will increase to half of that which it is now in
the United States and other developed countries.
To cope with the resultant
increase in energy demand, we will need an estimated total of 28 trillion
kilowatt hours of electricity to power the world in 2042. That's 2.2 times
the current worldwide generation capacity of 12.5 trillion kilowatt hours,
or an additional 15.5 trillion kilowatt hours that must be brought on
line!
And that assumes that we can
improve the world's overall electric power efficiency factor by 50 percent-from
about four-tenths of a kilowatt hour of electricity to produce each dollar
in goods and services worldwide to just two-tenths of a kilowatt hour,
which is a substantial improvement in efficiency.
W-G: How then
can we fulfill this projected increase in generating capacity without
further polluting the planet?
ST: Each nation must
answer this question for itself in light of its own indigenous resources
and economic requirements, as well as environmental and geopolitical considerations.
In the United States and elsewhere,
though, a prudent answer is beginning to emerge-namely, a balanced mix
of a diverse range of energy sources, including coal, hydro, oil, gas,
solar, wind, and other "renewables"-plus an increased reliance
on nuclear power, perhaps the only "clean" technology that is
capable of making a significant addition to future energy needs.
Renewable and alternative fuels
today supply only a small fraction of U.S. and worldwide energy needs.
This is likely to continue for quite some time as the World Energy Council
predicts that all non-hydroelectric renewables will grow only from their
present one-half-percent worldwide share to no more than 5 to 8 percent
by the year 2020.
Nuclear already accounts for
16 percent of worldwide generation, and is poised and ready to make an
even bigger contribution.
W-G: Can the
nuclear power industry really meet the challenge?
ST: Absolutely. In
fact, we are already beginning to see the signs of a true renaissance
in the worldwide nuclear power industry.
In many respects, the industry
has never been healthier. In the United States, for example, virtually
all of the more than 100 operating plants are operating above 90 percent
capacity, generating more than 750 billion kilowatts of electricity in
2001. Technology upgrades and improved operating techniques have enabled
these plants to actually increase their output by nearly 30 percent since
1990-the equivalent of putting 22 new 1000-megawatt plants online.
W-G: But what
about nuclear new plants? Can they be built and operated competitively?
ST: Even though there
have been no new plants ordered in the United States for more than 20
years, the new-plant segment of the industry has remained viable with
new plant programs of varying size underway in The Republic of Korea,
Japan and elsewhere.
Concurrently, the industry
is ready with new plant designs that, while based on proven technology,
promise to be even safer, more efficient and cost competitive than the
existing fleet.
The Westinghouse AP1000, for
example, is based on the proven pressurized water reactor technology that
Westinghouse pioneered in the 1950s, but it will be less expensive to
build and operate. It also boasts of passive safety systems that will
insure a safe and orderly shutdown, even without the requirement of human
intervention, in the highly unlikely event of a problem.
And, with a construction schedule
of only about three years from first concrete pour to fuel load, it can
be built without putting large amounts of capital at risk.
W-G: Can nuclear
really compete from a cost perspective?
ST: Measured solely
on an economic basis-including operating and maintenance costs, fuel costs,
future capital requirements, and administrative expenses-nuclear plants
compete extremely well with other sources of electricity in a competitive
generation market.
And the trend continues to
be encouraging. In the United States, for example, average nuclear production
costs have been cut in half, from 3.0 cents per kilowatt hour in 1987
to below 1.5 cents per kilowatt hour in 2001.
W-G: How important
is the environmental aspect in helping to make nuclear power more attractive
throughout the world?
ST: Most developed
nations are implementing stringent environmental goals relating to air
pollution and carbon emissions. The goal of the European Union, which
has ratified the Kyoto agreement, is to cut carbon emissions back to 1990
levels within the next 10 years. It will be difficult, if not impossible,
to achieve those goals without nuclear power. As more and more people
come to this realization, nuclear continues to be viewed more favorably.
In the United States, support for new nuclear plants is now higher among
the general public than at any time in the last 15 years.
Throughout the world, the trend
is also positive. The Republic of Korea's program is highly aggressive,
and new plants are being planned or built in Japan, China and Finland.
Even in countries that have announced gradual nuclear phase-outs, public
perceptions are moving back toward a realization that nuclear power is
an essential part of any realistic energy policy.
W-G: What
then are the challenges facing the nuclear power industry?
ST: First, and most
importantly, we must continue to work hard to maintain the public trust
by continuously reaffirming and proving our commitment to safety. Our
track record has been impressive, but we must constantly remind ourselves,
and everyone else, that safety is and will always be our paramount concern.
Second, we have to
do a better job in telling our story. For too long, we talked too much
to ourselves and not enough outside the industry. And then, we were often
overly defensive.
Nuclear power is safe, clean, and efficient. We should not be bashful
about saying so!
Finally, we must strengthen
our efforts to attract new people into this industry. It's a bright and
vibrant industry, with a good future. I'm happy to say that we at Westinghouse
have been successful in this area. Over the last four years, we've hired
well over 300 new engineering and computer science graduates, and we are
implementing programs that reach into elementary, middle and high schools
to encourage the best and the brightest to consider careers in nuclear
power.
Summary
Steve Tritch is responsible
for all Westinghouse commercial nuclear operations and the BNFL fuel business
group in the United Kingdom. He became president and CEO of Westinghouse
July 1, 2002.
Prior to his appointment, Mr.
Tritch served as a senior vice president, for Nuclear Fuel, which provides
nuclear fuel fabrication, components and services to commercial nuclear
power plants throughout the world. Before that assignment, he successfully
managed the integration of the former ABB nuclear businesses into Westinghouse
Electric Company, and was senior vice president of Nuclear Services.
Mr. Tritch has held numerous
managerial and general manager positions since he began his Westinghouse
career in 1971 as a product engineer in the Power Circuit Breaker Division.
In 1983, he joined the Westinghouse Research and Development Center as
manager of naval ship programs, acting as primary interface between Westinghouse
divisions and major U.S. Navy shipyards.
Later Mr. Tritch served as
manager of training and recruiting for the Westinghouse International
Power Systems organization, marketing manager of the Nuclear and Advanced
Technology Division, and manager of government systems in the Westinghouse
Advanced Energy Systems Division. In 1999, he became manager of the Nuclear
Safety Department and in 1992, he was appointed general manager of Engineering
Technology.
Mr. Tritch holds a B.S. in
mechanical engineering and an M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh.
He is a member of the American Society of Nuclear Engineers and serves
on the Nuclear Energy Institute's Nuclear Strategy Issues Committee.
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