THE EFFECT OF INDUSTRIAL-STRUCTURE ON LEARNING BY DOING IN NUCLEAR-POWER-PLANT OPERATION

Learning from experience in the nuclear industry has had a significant impact on the operating performance of light water reactor (LWR) powe r plants. Performance comparisons between the United States and France indicate that the relationship between experience and performance has been strongly influenced by industrial structure. In the United State s, a sizable operating performance penalty has been paid both as a res ult of the diffusion of several types of LWR technology and because of the relative scarcity of multiunit sites caused by the fragmented str ucture of the electric utility industry. In France, by contrast, perfo rmance has benefited from the very high degree of plant design standar dization and the prevalence of multiunit siting. These results suggest both short-term and long-term opportunities for improvement in the pe rformance of the American nuclear industry.