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Industry has a unique opportunity and a critical role to play in strengthening U.S. government efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear, radiological, and dual-use materials and technologies (those products and technologies that are normally used for civilian purposes but that could also have military applications) that could be used in a nuclear or radiological weapon. Government regulations and policies are in effect at both the national and international levels to inhibit access to such materials and technologies by illegitimate end users, but the discovery in 2003 of an illegal nuclear network spearheaded by Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan spurred international debate about what more could be done to prevent proliferation.

Many political theorists have attempted to explain the root causes of why countries want nuclear weapons.  This presentation addresses some of these theories, and ones especially pertaining to Iran.

This presentation discusses problems linked to energy in Asia including energy systems, remaining inexpensive supplies of oil and gas, nuclear issues, political upheaval, and climate change.

This paper is intended to identify bottlenecks that may arise in the conversion and fuel fabrication steps when used in conjunction with the U.S.-sponsored Reliable Fuel Supply (RFS) reserve.

This document reports the discussion of a workshop in which representatives from government, industry, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), national laboratories, and other organizations participated. As such, views expressed within this report are not the consensus views of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, industry or government. The three sections of the report represent an attempt to convey key themes discussed and specific concerns that emerged as part of this discussion.

Efforts to enhance energy security and therefore economic security in North East Asia have been gaining ground in the last few years. World energy demand is anticipated to increase 53 percent by 2030, increasing pressure on countries to ensure their energy security. In NE Asia, many regional energy projects that could aid energy security are under discussion, but few have reached the implementation stage. This paper addresses mechanisms for increasing the economics of energy supply in the region and improving the reliability of its energy supply.

This paper is intended to identify bottlenecks that may arise in the conversion and fuel fabrication steps when used in conjunction with the U.S.-sponsored Reliable Fuel Supply (RFS) reserve.

An exceptional number of Middle Eastern and North African nations have recently expressed interest in developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. As nuclear energy becomes safer, less expensive, more widely used, and thus a more viable option for power generation, some Middle East and North African nations could be expected to claim that they need the benefits from developing a nuclear program for meeting national economic and energy security goals. Providing effective guidance and international oversight (safeguards) as they examine this option will be an important challenge for the international community to address in the coming century. This report consists of a technical, political, and economic survey for each of thirteen countries in the Middle East and North Africa. It assesses each country's current nuclear capability, as well as energy and water resources (see Appendix R), stated nuclear intentions, international participation in the IAEA and other safety and security agreements, and projections for collaboration on a nuclear program with neighboring nations.

Government can only do so much to dissuade the illicit trafficking and/or theft of key components used to construct weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). The need for an industry self-regulation approach became quite apparent following the discovery of the AQ Khan black market network.

The nonproliferation curriculum at the University of Washington (UW) is the product of collaboration between Pacific Northwest Center for Global Security (PNWCGS) at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS) and the Department of Political Science at the University of Washington. This collaboration began in 2001 with the establishment the Institute for Global and Regional Security Studies (IGRSS). IGRSS is housed in the Jackson School, which will celebrate its centennial in 2008 as a center for the study of world regions. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory also engages in a number of collaborative relationships with UW units in the natural and applied sciences.

Nonproliferation, like many aspects of security, has not played out as many expected following the end of the Cold War. The peace dividend has been elusive in many countries. The notion that the world would become a safer and more secure place as nuclear weapons stockpiles were reduced has been trumped by the rise in international terrorism. Hopes that nuclear weapons would lose their salience as markers of elite status among nations along with pressures to acquire them have been dashed.

Rising world demand for fossil fuels, in conjunction with their decreasing availability, continues to drive a steady increase in the relative price of fossil energy. This increasing price of fossil fuels is causing a surge of interest in nuclear power as an economic and dependable source of clean energy. Here we present and offer exploratory analysis of a series of questions for both government and industry regarding the assurance of nuclear fuel supply.

This paper examines China's search for energy amidst its actual and perceived energy insecurity. The author highlights strategies that the Chinese leadership has used to address its insecurity and he offers policy implications for the both China and the United States.

Most exports that must be reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) require a specific license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), meaning that for these exports the U.S. Government (USG) will have the necessary information in sufficient time to meet the IAEA's reporting requirements. The NRC export regulations apply to government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as well as to the private sector. Information on some generally licensed reactor component exports will not reach the USG in time to meet IAEA reporting requirements. It appears the NRC will need to modify its general license in 10 CFR 110.26(c) to require quarterly (instead of annual) reports on these exports. If this is done, DOE should inform its organizational units of the change. The NRC has indicated it would make this regulatory change.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, also called North Korea) has expressed an interest in establishing an Energy Efficiency Center to improve the energy efficiency of North Korea's economy and living conditions. This Center would concentrate on evaluating how these conditions affect the North Korean people. Currently their system(s) seems quite antiquated. Establishing a center that could advise and monitor activity would be a humanitarian effort by the U.S. government and the scientific community working on the program. This Center could impact energy policy for the government of DPRK and private industry within its borders. U.S. government export control regulations and any licensing application will need to be determined before initial startup can begin.