Hyman Rickover is the implicit (and often explicit) father of nuclear energy, having proved the dominant light-water reactor design, firstly in submarines, and then at the Shippingport power plant. He reigned over the military nuclear submarine field for decades, but his impact on civilian reactors was fleeting. Why? Because he was abhorrent to the private sector. In late 1957, just as he was bringing Shippingport into operation, the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Lewis Strauss, tasked a consultant with gauging the mood of the fledgling American nuclear sector. Robert Zehring, an economist and lobbyist, reported to Strauss the typical feedback of one electricity utility manager:
Although there is a certain grudging respect for Rickover’s engineering knowledge and dedication to the job, he is generally regarded as such an egotistical SOB that progress has been made on these contracts despite his personality rather than because of it. Some companies under contract with Rickover have taken the abuse in order to get the dollars. Others who might have the capacity to participate say “To hell with him” and stay away from the program because they will simply not stand his dictation or shift personnel as he frequently demands.
Hewlett, Richard G. and Jack M. Holl. 1989. A History of the United States Atomic Energy Commission: Volume III: Atoms for Peace and War, 1953–1961: Eisenhower and the Atomic Energy Commission. University of California Press, p. 421.
Rickover never did build another non-military reactor.
