The Atomic Industrial Forum (AIF) was an industrial policy organization for the commercial development of nuclear power and energy.

History

1950s

The Atomic Industrial Forum history dates to Autumn 1952, when it was being first organized: In response, some 30 industrialists, engineers, and educators met in January 1953 to establish the forum. The AIF was formally incorporated on April 10, 1953, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, and marked the beginning of the commercial nuclear power industry in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

The first Executive Director of AIF was Charles Robbins. As a profit

trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific Industry (economics), industry. Through collabor ...

the AIF advocated the peaceful uses of atomic energy and increasing the role of the private sector in its development. Its first order of business was to advocate revising the

Atomic Energy Act of 1946 The Atomic Energy Act of 1946 (McMahon Act) determined how the United States would control and manage the nuclear technology it had jointly developed with its World War II allies, the United Kingdom and Canada. Most significantly, the Act ru ...

to allow and foster the commercial ownership of non weapons nuclear facilities, such as production of radioactive isotopes and nuclear power plants. AIF established strong working relationships with the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and the Congressional Joint Committee on Atomic Energy. AIF's efforts helped to achieve the passage of the

Atomic Energy Act of 1954 The Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2011–2021, 2022-2286i, 2296a-2297h-13, is a United States federal law that covers for the development, regulation, and disposal of nuclear materials and facilities in the United States. It was an ...

which resulted in the growth of a commercial nuclear industry. AIF was organized on the basis of an executive committee, the annual election of officers and a permanent operations staff, headed by an Executive Director, Mr. Charles Robbins.

1960s

In 1963 AIF established an international public information program. Working with other forums around the world, the program sought, through publications, workshops, exhibitions, speeches and outreach, to foster and achieve better understanding of the peaceful uses of atomic energy. Its first program director was Charles B.Yulish. Both the government and private sectors involvement in atomic energy grew steadily; eventually, more that 125 commercial nuclear power plants provided 20 percent of America's electricity. At the same time there were increasing debates on safeguards and regulation. The Atomic Energy Commission, which both promoted, developed and regulated nuclear development, was split into two agencies—the Energy

Research and Development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in some countries as OKB, experiment and design, is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products. R&D constitutes the first stage ...

Agency, now the Department of Energy, and the independent U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Administration. As new challenges and opportunities evolved, new industry efforts and resources were required to address these matters.

1980s

In 1987 the AIF was reconfigured into the Nuclear Utility Management and Resources Council (NUMARC), which addressed generic regulatory and technical issues, and the U.S. Council for Energy Awareness (USCEA), founded in 1979. In 1994 these two organizations were again reorganized and re-purposed. The

Nuclear Energy Institute The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) is a nuclear industry trade association in the United States, based in Washington, D.C. Synopsis The Nuclear Energy Institute represents the nuclear technologies industry. NEI’s stated mission “is to ...

and the American Nuclear Energy Council (ANEC conducted public affairs, and the nuclear division of the

Edison Electric Institute The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) is an association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. In its official communications, EEI mostly cast doubt on climate change in the 1990s. In the 2000s, EEI no longer cast doubt on clim ...

(EEI), was responsible for issues involving nuclear fuel supply and management, and the economics of nuclear energy.

2000s

In 2011, the Nuclear Energy Institute became the leading organization representing the nuclear industry. NEI headquarters is in Washington, DC.

References

{{Authority control Trade associations based in the United States Nuclear organizations Organizations established in 1953 1953 establishments in the United States