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Nuclear Power Reactors: A Study in Technological Lock-in

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Author Info
Cowan, Robin

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Abstract

Recent theory has predicted that if competing technologies operate under dynamic increasing returns, one, possibly inferior, technology will dominate the market. The history of nuclear power technology is used to illustrate these results. Light water is considered inferior to other technologies, yet it dominates the market for power reactors. This is largely due to the early adoption and heavy development by the U.S. Navy of light water for submarine propulsion. When a market for civilian power emerged, light water had a large head start, and by the time other technologies were ready to enter the market, light water was entrenched.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Cambridge University Press in its journal The Journal of Economic History.

Volume (Year): 50 (1990)
Issue (Month): 03 (September)
Pages: 541-567
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:50:y:1990:i:03:p:541-567_03

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  1. Dybvig, Philip H. & Spatt, Chester S., 1983. "Adoption externalities as public goods," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 20(2), pages 231-247, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Joseph Farrell & Garth Saloner, 1985. "Standardization, Compatibility, and Innovation," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 16(1), pages 70-83, Spring. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  3. Callon, M., 1980. "The state and technical innovation: a case study of the electrical vehicle in France," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 358-376, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Karlson, Stephen H, 1986. "Adoption of Competing Inventions by United States Steel Producers," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 68(3), pages 415-22, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Keck, Otto, 1980. "Government policy and technical choice in the West German reactor programme," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 302-356, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. David, Paul A, 1985. "Clio and the Economics of QWERTY," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(2), pages 332-37, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Katz, Michael L & Shapiro, Carl, 1986. "Technology Adoption in the Presence of Network Externalities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(4), pages 822-41, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Joskow, Paul L & Rozanski, George A, 1979. "The Effects of Learning by Doing on Nuclear Plant Operating Reliability," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 61(2), pages 161-68, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Cowan, R.A. & Rizzo, M.J., 1995. "The Genetic causal Tradition of Modern Economic History," Working Papers 95-29, C.V. Starr Center for Applied Economics, New York University. [Downloadable!]
  2. Abdelaziz Berkane, 2007. "A propos de la confiance : le cas de la tradition théorique autrichienne," Post-Print hal-00170328_v1, HAL. [Downloadable!]
  3. Ruttan, Vernon W., 2001. "The Role Of The Public Sector In Technology Development: Generalizations From General Purpose Technologies," Staff Papers 13563, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics. [Downloadable!]
  4. Cabral, Luís M B & Cozzi, Guido & Denicolo, Vincenzo & Spagnolo, Giancarlo & Zanza, Matteo, 2006. "Procuring Innovation," CEPR Discussion Papers 5774, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Sanditov,Bulat, 2004. "ICT Revolution, Globalization and Informational Lock-in," Research Memoranda 013, Maastricht : MERIT, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology. [Downloadable!]
  6. John Kemp Ted, Wilson, 1999. "Monetary Regime Transformation: the scramble to gold in the late nineteenth century," Review of Political Economy, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 11(2), pages 125-149, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Albert Faber & Koen Frenken, 2008. "Models in evolutionary economics and environmental policy: Towards an evolutionary environmental economics," Innovation Studies Utrecht (ISU) working paper series 08-15, Utrecht University, Department of Innovation Studies, revised Apr 2008. [Downloadable!]
  8. Floortje Alkemade & Koen Frenken & Marko Hekkert & Malte Schwoon, 2009. "A complex systems methodology to transition management," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 527-543, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  9. Javier Carrillo, 2004. "Prospective voluntary agreements to escape carbon lock-in," Working Papers Economia wp04-23, Instituto de Empresa, Area of Economic Environment. [Downloadable!]
  10. Kevin Marechal, 2008. "An evolutionary perspective on the economics of energy consumption: the crucial role of habits," Working Papers CEB 08-012.RS, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Centre Emile Bernheim (CEB). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  11. Bulat Sanditov, 2004. "ICT Revolution, Globalization and Informational Lock-in," Working Papers geewp39, Vienna University of Economics and B.A. Research Group: Growth and Employment in Europe: Sustainability and Competitiveness. [Downloadable!]
  12. Totti Könnölä & Gregory C. Unruh & Javier Carrillo- Hermosilla, 2005. "IE WP 23/04 Prospective Voluntary Agreements to Escape Carbon Lock-in," Others 0509005, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  13. Chris Hand, 2006. "History Matters: Modelling Path Dependence on a Spreadsheet," Computers in Higher Education Economics Review, Economics Network, University of Bristol, vol. 18(1), pages 19-24. [Downloadable!]
  14. Nicolas Jonard & Eric Schenk, 2003. "A Duopoly Logit Model with Price Competition and Strategic Compatibility," Annales d'Economie et de Statistique, ADRES, issue 69, pages 07, Janvier-M. [Downloadable!]
  15. repec:att:wimass:192032 is not listed on IDEAS
  16. Cowan, Robin, 1989. "Technological Variety And Competition: Issues Of Diffusion And Intervention," Working Papers 89-23, C.V. Starr Center for Applied Economics, New York University. [Downloadable!]
  17. Kemp, R. & van den Bergh, J., 2006. "Economics and Transitions: Lessons from Economic Sub-disciplines," UNU-MERIT Working Paper Series 038, United Nations University, Maastricht Economic and social Research and training centre on Innovation and Technology. [Downloadable!]
  18. A. Bassanini & G. Dosi, 1998. "Competing Technologies, International Diffusion and the Rate of Convergence to a Stable Market Structure," Working Papers ir98012, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. [Downloadable!]
  19. Maarten C.W. Janssen & Ewa Mendys, 2000. "Adoption of Superior Technology in Markets with Heterogeneous Network Externalities and Price Competition," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 00-087/1, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
  20. Scott Barrett, 2006. "Climate Treaties and "Breakthrough" Technologies," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 96(2), pages 22-25, May. [Downloadable!]
  21. A. Bassanini, 1997. "Localized Technological Change and Path-Dependent Growth," Working Papers ir97086, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. [Downloadable!]
  22. Roberto Fontana, 2003. "Rapid Technical Change and the Speed of Lock-in: Standard Battles in the Local Area Network Industry in the 1990s," CESPRI Working Papers 146, CESPRI, Centre for Research on Innovation and Internationalisation, Universita' Bocconi, Milano, Italy, revised Jul 2003. [Downloadable!]
  23. Elad Harison & Heli Koski, 2006. "Innovative Software Business Strategies: Evidence from Finnish Firms," Discussion Papers 1042, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy. [Downloadable!]
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