The Origins of Nuclear Power: A Case of Institutional Conflict

Abstract

This history of the first 16 years of civilian nuclear power in the United States reveals that government agencies (the Atomic Energy Commission and the Joint Congressional Committee on Atomic Energy) struggled to create the industry so that military nuclear capabilities would advance. I show why these agencies were intent on developing civilian nuclear power, why utilities were reluctant to invest in nuclear power, and why the utilities eventually relented to the government's demands. This evidence is inconsistent with previous explanations of nuclear development, and I propose an institutional perspective that more adequately accounts for the government's success in forcing utilities to participate in an unprofitable and uncertain venture.