1. National Energy Policy (The White House May 2001) 5–17; available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/.
2. The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission projected in 1974 that by the year 2000 U.S. nuclear-powered generating capacity would be over 1000 GWe (10 12 Watts electric) with more than 100 GWe being added annually [ Proposed Final Environmental Statement on the Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor Program (WASH-1535 U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Washington DC 1974) Fig. 11.2 to 11.23]. Today U.S. nuclear capacity has plateaued at about 100 GWe.
3. Between January 1978 and May 2001 the unrestricted spot price of natural uranium declined from about $261 to $19 per kg in constant U.S. GDP-deflated May 2001 dollars [ Nukem Market Report (June) p. 220 (2001)].
4. Estimated costs in constant 1992 U.S. dollars for reprocessing in a newly constructed plant increased from about $100/kg of heavy metal in the early 1970s to $2000 in the 1990s [ Nuclear Wastes: Technologies for Separations and Transmutation (National Academy Press Washington DC 1996) p. 117]. The 1990s cost corresponds to about $300/g of contained chain-reacting plutonium (plutonium-239 and plutonium-241) in 10-year-old spent fuel. Global reserves of natural uranium recoverable at costs of up to $20/g uranium-235 would last over 60 years at current rates of consumption.
5. Uranium 1999: Resources Production and Demand (OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency Paris 2000)].