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Is There Hope for Nuclear Power?

This article is more than 10 years old.

Nuclear power plant in Cattenom, France. (Image via Wikipedia)

Almost a year ago, I was a guest on a Webinar about the future of solar power. There were two other guests, both from the solar industry, and the Webinar's host was another journalist whose work I respect.

It sounded great -- until I read the proposed title of the discussion: "Is There Hope for Solar Power?"

Now, this was mid-way in a year that saw record growth in the solar industry. But, despite my objections that the title created a misleading picture of the state of solar power, the name stayed -- and the discussion went well-enough, I thought.

I've been thinking about that bizarre title recently. A year ago, amidst all the talk about a "nuclear renaissance" and announcements of federal loan guarantees  to build new nuclear power plants, who would have thought that the question "Is there hope for nuclear power?" would be a legitimate topic of discussion.

As Peter Fairley reports in today's issue of MIT's Technology Review, however, the disaster at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is having a domino effect on nuclear programs worldwide, forcing governments -- even France! -- to rethink the future of nuclear power.

The deepening nuclear debate over nuclear energy in France, meanwhile, may have global implications. France generates 80 percent of its electricity with nuclear, and its state-owned firms are world leaders: Paris-based EDF is the largest operator of nuclear power plants worldwide, while Areva is the largest provider of nuclear services and technology.

Even France's allegiance to nuclear appears to be loosening, however. Late last month, Paris-based oil and gas multinational Total announced that it would invest $1.38 billion in solar power by purchasing 60 percent of U.S.-based solar-panel producer SunPower.

via A Worldwide Nuclear Slowdown Continues - Technology Review.