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Available estimates of those fuels likely to provide energy in coming years indicated that, while fossil fuels would continue to have an expanding market, nuclear energy would capture an ever-increasing fraction of the market. During 1967 and early 1968 nuclear technology advanced substantially, and nuclear energy became economically competitive with fossil fuels. Finally cheap nuclear power became a reality. For the generating of electricity, the accomplishments of nuclear power did not suggest replacement of existing coal-burning power plants, but nuclear power plants did, nevertheless, economically produce the large amounts of electricity demanded by an urban society. (See Year in Review: ENGINEERING, Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Power Plants.)

It seemed likely that this reflected, at least in part, the recognition of some nonmonetary advantages of nuclear plants. These include clean, aesthetically attractive facilities, and the elimination of such inherent drawbacks in coal-powered plants as air pollution, unsightly coal piles, and ash heaps. The advantages of nuclear power plants would have increasing monetary value, however, as antipollution requirements become more stringent.

From 1966 through early 1968 approximately half of the new power plants ordered were nuclear. This represented a dramatic growth over previous years and was stimulated in large measure by extensive reductions in nuclear power-plant costs in 1965 and 1966. In 1967, however, this trend was reversed when costs increased approximately 30%, but in spite of this increase, nuclear power-plant sales continued at about the 1966 level.