In the case of the SSPS, the two scenarios considered are identical in all respects except for the amount of DDT&E (program) cost to be incurred for its development. In one scenario, an estimated total cost of $44.15 billion is used, including approximately $25 billion in development costs for heavy lift launch vehicles and other major space hardware. The costs of space vehicles could arguably be fully or partially absorbed by other ongoing space programs. The second SSPS scenario therefore excludes this space-related program cost, resulting in a lower DDT&E cost of $20.61 billion. The delivered energy costs at the busbar for the six scenarios considered (3 LMFBR, 1 solar terrestrial, and 2 SSPS) are shown in Exhibit 33. The LMFBR costs are clearly the lowest costs under any of the three scenarios. Using the 1987 IOC, the 1974 EIR costs indicate a delivered energy cost of 16.5 mills/kWh including recovery of program costs and 13.7 mills/kWh excluding program cost recovery. If the learning curve factors are also considered, total cost including program cost recovery drops to 13.0 mills/kWh, while costs excluding program cost recovery drops to just over 10 mills/kWh. The third bar in Exhibit 33 reflects the most recent and apparently most conservative ERDA data on the LMFBR. These estimates, derived from the final EIR published in 1975, show a 21.8 mill/ kWh total cost with a 15.5 mill/kWh cost excluding program cost recovery. Two comments should be made on the LMFBR costs. The 15.5 mills/kWh estimate based on the 1975 FIR, does correspond reasonably close to the estimates given in the ECON study for the LMFBR and to those given in the Berkeley study of alternative energy systems done for JPL (Ref. A25). When restated for no inflation and a 10% discount rate, these two estimates are 15.4 and 15.6 mills/kWh, respectively. Energy costs are clearly the highest for solar terrestrial. In the system considered, capacity is provided for 70% storage for 6 hours. The contribution of program costs to solar terrestrial is apparently trivial, raising total energy costs by less than 1 mill/kWh. This reflects the apparent availability of the necessary technology, although only at a very high cost. The SSPS estimates fall squarely between the higher estimates for the LMFBR and the solar terrestrial estimates. Basic energy costs., excluding
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==