Well, it depends on who you ask, of course. But some suggest the existing US nuclear regulatory framework contains flaws – that in some cases – allow cost to trump safety. There has always been tension between the nuclear industry and the regulators that oversee it. The strongly-held views that permeate discussions around safety, economic… Keep reading →
The March 2011 Fukushima accident destroyed four and shuttered most (currently all) of Japan’s 54 nuclear plants. Japan replaced nuclear energy with discomfort, sacrifice, and costly fossil fuels, because utility oligopolies suppressed renewable competitors and national energy efficiency languished. Two and a half years later, power reserves, though easing, remain tight, fuel bills exorbitant, and… Keep reading →
Half empty in the West, half full in a handful of centrally planned economies Nuclear power’s prospects appears to be doomed in the West where markets and private investors tend to make the decisions and assume the risks, that is, if they can get the public’s support and regulator’s approval. In other parts of the… Keep reading →
