The fast breeder reactor, so called because it produces more nuclear fuel than it consumes, is one of the most remarkable examples of a prolonged and costly innovation failure. In 1974, General Electric predicted that by 2000 about 90 percent of the United States’ electricity would come from fast breeders. GE was merely reflecting a widespread expectation: during the 1970s, the governments of France, Japan, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States were all investing heavily in the development of breeders. But high costs, technical problems, and environmental concerns led to
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