GROVE CITY — Despite the nuclear plant disaster in Japan last year, nuclear energy will continue to grow, said the just-retired Westinghouse Electric CEO.

Aris Candris said Thursday night at Grove City College that one of the “best kept secrets” about the nuclear power industry is its safety record.

“It has a record better than any other industry, bar none,” Candris said.

On March 11, 2011, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake hit Japan, followed by a large tsunami.

Following the earthquake, the Fukushima nuclear plant shut down immediately as it was designed to do, and its safety systems were activated.

However, the tsunami hit the plant an hour later and the safety systems shut down. The plant was designed to withstand a 5.7 meter tsunami, but last year's tsunami was 14 meters high.

Fukushima had 13 emergency diesel generators, and the tsunami destroyed all of them.

As a result of the loss of power, three of the six reactors at the plant had “significant” meltdowns.

Although there were deaths during the disaster, none came from radiation.

“The general population is expected to have zero health effects,” Candris said.

Candris said that no nuclear plants in the U.S. could be hit by a tsunami. The closest that could are two on the California coast. One is high on a cliff and the other is far inland.

He also said that safety standards are higher in the U.S. and Western Europe than in other parts of the world.

Candris said the Fukushima disaster has taught the industry lessons about the need to prepare for the unexpected.

If there is any silver lining to the disaster, it showed the need for advancement of passive safety systems in nuclear plants, Candris said.

One example, he said, is the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor, which the federal government approved for use in February.

Rather than rely on backup generators in case of emergency, the AP1000 can release water from large tanks above its reactor core. The water can cool the core for up to three days.

If such a system had been in place in Fukushima, Candris said the meltdowns likely would not have taken place.

When asked about how the Japan disaster compares to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union, Candris said the incidents do not compare.

The Chernobyl plant used an old reactor type, and Candris said the Soviets tried to optimize both generating energy and building nuclear bombs in one location.

“If you don't control them properly ... you basically have a very crude nuclear bomb,” Candris said.

He said that the Chernobyl plant had no containment system, either.

“Chernobyl could not happen in any of the western reactors,” Candris said.

Energy consumption worldwide is expected to double by 2030, with most of the growth taking place in the developing world. In the U.S., energy demand is expected to increase by 28 percent by 2035.

The U.S., Canada, Brazil, India and Russia, among others are looking to expand nuclear power capabilities. China has 26 nuclear plants under construction.

Candris said a big challenge is providing for the increased demand while moving toward energy independence and being environmentally friendly.

“Nuclear needs to be a part of the solution,” Candris said.

He said that nuclear energy mitigates climate change because it does not produce emissions. Currently, he said 69.3 percent of emission free energy comes from nuclear power.

The development of nuclear power plants also creates 700 permanent jobs and 3,500 temporary construction jobs per plant.

Candris became president and CEO of Westinghouse in 2008. He retired in March.

Westinghouse employs about 5,000 people at its Cranberry Township headquarters.