THE REST OF THE WEST

While the guerilla tactics inside and outside the Carter administration succeeded in reducing US nuclear capacity in 1979 from 10.6 to 9.2% of total electric capacity, the rest of the world did not stand still. Nine countries are now ahead of the US in, nuclear capacity: Switzerland (17.5%), China-Taiwan (16.6%) Belgium (16%), Sweden (14.6%), Japan (12.2%), Germany (12%), France, Britain, and Finland (10% each).

In percentage of delivered electric energy, the leader is Sweden with 25%, more than double the US figure (11.4%); and the world's largest nuke, with 4,700 MW, is near Tokyo, Japan (to be surpassed by Canada's 6,000 MW Bruce power plant in Ontario when its expansions go on line in 1987).

Japan is also one of the world's leaders in putting nuclear plants on line: They need only 6 years. US engineers do not need more than that, either; but the lawyers need another 7 to 8.

The Western World's leader is now undoubtedly France, which aims at 50% capacity in 1985, 65% in 1990, and 85% by the end of the century. Their second breeder reactor, the 1200 MW Superphenix, is only 6 months behind schedule; next year their own giant uranium enrichment plant will go on line at Tricastin; they have the West's first commercial vitrification plant (to seal wastes into glass) at Marcoule; they have their own reprocessing plant at La Hague; and last month, they achieved the ultimate in nuclear feats: They knocked some sense into David Freeman's head. The environmentalist lawyer, principal author of the Rockefeller study A Time to Choose (AtE May 74), Carter appointee as TVA director, and earstwhile foe of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor, returned from a visit to France an almost enthusiastic breeder backer; the French nuclear program, he was amazed to see, is not a PR stunt, but actually produces electricity. (At 13.52 centimes a kWh, compared to 24.79 for coal-fired, and 36.32 for oil-fired plants.)