Fukushima and thereafter: Reassessment of risks of nuclear power

The Fukushima nuclear accident on March 11, 2011 in Japan has severely dented the prospects of growth of civilian nuclear power in many countries. Although Japan's worst nuclear accident was triggered by an unprecedented earthquake and tsunami, inadequate safety countermeasures and collusive ties between the plant operators, regulators, and government officials left the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant beyond redemption. A critical examination of the accident reveals that the accumulation of various technical and institutional lapses only compounded the nuclear disaster. Besides technical fixes such as enhanced engineering safety features and better siting choices, the critical ingredient for safe operation of nuclear reactors lie in the quality of human training and transparency of the nuclear regulatory process that keeps public interest–not utility interest–at the forefront. The need for a credible and transparent analysis of the social benefits and risks of nuclear power is emphasized in the context of energy portfolio choice.