Spectator: Nuclear Renaissance Blossoms - Without the USA by William Tucker

This summer China surpassed the United States as the world's largest producer of energy. What was noteworthy, however, is not what China has accomplished over the past 10 years -- doubling its energy capacity -- but what it is planning for its future.
Under construction now in China are 23 nuclear reactors, many originally of American design. The Chinese are building four Westinghouse AP1000s -- a model our Nuclear Regulatory Commission has not even approved yet. On the drawing boards are at least 30 more projects. By 2020, China's nuclear complex will be more than half the size of the U.S.'s aging fleet of 104.
But that's just the beginning. In July the Chinese announced plans for a 50-square-mile "Nuclear City" in Haiyan, 70 miles south of Shanghai. The city, which now houses much of China's nuclear industry, will now add an educational center for training nuclear engineers and scientists, a center for the study of radiation safety, a research lab for radiation-based industry and agriculture, a manufacturing center for nuclear parts, and a marketing center to sell nuclear power to the rest of the world.
At this point, the world probably doesn't need much persuading. Outside America's borders, the long-awaited Nuclear Renaissance is now fully under way. There are currently 60 reactors under construction around the globe, with countries as diverse as Vietnam, Brazil, Turkey, and Jordan planning nuclear programs.
What is America's role in this? Not much, except perhaps for running after everyone shouting, "Hey, wait a minute, we invented this technology." On the basis of outdated treaties and outmoded concerns about nuclear proliferation, we are currently: a) telling South Korea it cannot reprocess its own spent fuel rods, and b) telling Jordan it cannot process its own uranium. Both countries are furious at America's buttinski ways and are politely telling us to get lost. After all, both countries have many other options to which to turn.
You can read more here: http://spectator.org/archives/2010/10/31/nuclear-renaissance-blossomswi
http://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/archive/2010/11/01/nuclear-renaissance-blossoms-without-the-usa-110104.aspx

Related articles

• Go Nowhere--In Style (technologyreview.com)
• Scientists call for a global nuclear renaissance in new study (eurekalert.org)
• Nuclear power is the solution (politico.com)
• New nuclear technology 'could benefit developing countries' (guardian.co.uk)
• Heads Up (technologyreview.com)
• No chance for nukes in a penny-pinching world (theglobeandmail.com)