Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Note on Transliteration and Translation -- Acronyms and Abbreviations -- Introduction -- 1 Envisioning a Nuclear-Powered State -- 2: Between Atomic Bombs and Power Plants -- 3: Training Nuclear Experts -- 4: "May the Atom Be a Worker, Not a Soldier!"--5: Chernobyl -- 6: Conclusion -- Epilogue: Writing about Chernobyl after Fukushima -- Biographical Notes -- Methodological Appendix -- List of Interviews -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index

An examination of how the technical choices, social hierarchies, economic structures, and political dynamics shaped the Soviet nuclear industry leading up to Chernobyl. The Chernobyl disaster has been variously ascribed to human error, reactor design flaws, and industry mismanagement. Six former Chernobyl employees were convicted of criminal negligence; they defended themselves by pointing to reactor design issues. Other observers blamed the Soviet style of ideologically driven economic and industrial management. In Producing Power, Sonja Schmid draws on interviews with veterans of the Soviet nuclear industry and extensive research in Russian archives as she examines these alternate accounts. Rather than pursue one “definitive” explanation, she investigates how each of these narratives makes sense in its own way and demonstrates that each implies adherence to a particular set of ideas—about high-risk technologies, human-machine interactions, organizational methods for ensuring safety and productivity, and even about the legitimacy of the Soviet state. She also shows how these attitudes shaped, and were shaped by, the Soviet nuclear industry from its very beginnings. Schmid explains that Soviet experts established nuclear power as a driving force of social, not just technical, progress. She examines the Soviet nuclear industry's dual origins in weapons and electrification programs, and she traces the emergence of nuclear power experts as a professional community. Schmid also fundamentally reassesses the design choices for nuclear power reactors in the shadow of the Cold War's arms race. Schmid's account helps us understand how and why a complex sociotechnical system broke down. Chernobyl, while unique and specific to the Soviet experience, can also provide valuable lessons for contemporary nuclear projects.

Discusses wind and water power, solar energy, and energy from wood and from farm wastes and explains how to harness these power sources for home use.

Featuring contributions from worldwide leaders in the field, the carefully crafted Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution, Third Edition (part of the five-volume set, The Electric Power Engineering Handbook) provides convenient access to detailed information on a diverse array of power engineering topics. Updates to nearly every chapter keep this book at the forefront of developments in modern power systems, reflecting international standards, practices, and technologies. Topics covered include: Electric power generation: nonconventional methods Electric power generation: conventional methods Transmission system Distribution systems Electric power utilization Power quality L.L. Grigsby, a respected and accomplished authority in power engineering, and section editors Saifur Rahman, Rama Ramakumar, George Karady, Bill Kersting, Andrew Hanson, and Mark Halpin present substantially new and revised material, giving readers up-to-date information on core areas. These include advanced energy technologies, distributed utilities, load characterization and modeling, and power quality issues such as power system harmonics, voltage sags, and power quality monitoring. With six new and 16 fully revised chapters, the book supplies a high level of detail and, more importantly, a tutorial style of writing and use of photographs and graphics to help the reader understand the material. New chapters cover: Water Transmission Line Reliability Methods High Voltage Direct Current Transmission System Advanced Technology High-Temperature Conduction Distribution Short-Circuit Protection Linear Electric Motors A volume in the Electric Power Engineering Handbook, Third Edition. Other volumes in the set: K12648 Power Systems, Third Edition (ISBN: 9781439856338) K13917 Power System Stability and Control, Third Edition (ISBN: 9781439883204) K12650 Electric Power Substations Engineering, Third Edition (ISBN: 9781439856383) K12643 Electric Power Transformer Engineering, Third Edition (ISBN: 9781439856291)