Management of Commercially Generated Radioactive Waste - U.S. ...

1.30
alternative program. The range of costs for the alternative program is higher than the
proposed program for the once-through cycle but about the same for the reprocessing cycle.
Costs for the no-action alternative are about the same as the low end of the range for the
proposed program.
The costs can be better placed in perspective when shown as unit costs per kWh of
generated electrical energy. The levelized unit costs are sensitive to the discount rate
used (cost of money). Because waste management costs are incurred after the generation of
the electricity, increasing the discount rate has the effect of reducing the unit cost. A
range of discount rates from 0 to 10% is considered in this Statement and a 7% rate was
selected for illustration in this summary. Since the unit cost for the once-through cycle
and the reprocessing cycle are similar, the unit costs for the program alternatives are com-
pared in Table 1.7.7 without distinguishing the cost range for each fuel cycle. Costs are
somewhat higher when a 0% discount rate is used and slightly lower with a 10% discount rate.
On this basis there is little difference between the proposed program and alternative pro-
gram costs. Cost of electricity in 1978 averaged 3.5 C/kWh over all types of services
throughout the U.S. On that basis the additional cost for waste management and disposal
would add about 2 to 6% to the consumer's cost of electricity and no more than 3% if
nuclear power growth to at least 250 GWe is realized.
TABLE 1.7.7. Comparison of Levelized Waste-Management Unit Costs for the Program
Alternatives at a 7% Discount Rate, t/kWh
Proposed Program Alternative Program
Nuclear Power Growth (Geologic Disposal (Disposal Starting No-Action
Case Assumption Starting 1990 - 2010) 2010 - 2030) Alternative
1 Present Inventory Only 0.2 0.2 0.08
2 Present Capacity and
Normal Life 0.1 0.1 0.06
3 250 GWe system by
Year 2000 and Normal Life 0.06 to 0.09 0.07 0.05
4 250 GWe System by
Year 2000 and Steady (a)
State 0.07 to 0.08 0.07 NA
5 500 GWe System by
Year 2040 0.06 to 0.08 0.07 NA
(a) NA = not applicable.