After the nuclear renaissance: The age of discovery

By Alexander Glaser | 17 March 2011

Article Highlights

• In the United States and around the world, existing nuclear reactors are nearing their 40-year lifespans, which could mean a drop in nuclear electricity production if plants shut down before new plants are online.
• It remains to be seen how the Fukushima disaster will shape the debate on nuclear safety and whether the public is willing to accept the possibility of catastrophic nuclear accidents.
• The Fukushima accidents are likely to shift the balance in the debate on climate change and the risks and benefits of nuclear power.