New life for US nuclear power plants

The US nuclear power industry is planning for a renaissance, drawing up its first applications to build nuclear plants since the 1970s.

Just a decade ago, many energy executives didn’t think nuclear power had much of a future. Strict regulations had led to costly downtime for reactors. The public showed little interest in betting billions on new plants.

Instead of fading away, the industry launched a revival, using a friendlier political climate to spur a regulatory overhaul.
Rules that had led to lengthy investigations and plant shutdowns became less restrictive. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission started embracing industry efforts to create alternative, less costly regulations.

Today, the turnaround is nearly complete. The electricity output of the nation’s remaining 103 reactors is at or near record highs.

Republicans and Democrats—and a growing number of environmentalists—are embracing nuclear power as a critical response to global warming and reliance on unstable oil suppliers. Wall Street is warming up to the idea of new construction.

Manila Times