Staging a comeback

A change in public perception, energy supply concerns and green issues are all driving a nuclear power revival in the US. Technological advances, financial incentives and licence standardisation look set to smooth the process of new build, finds Neil O'Hara

The once-vilified US nuclear power industry is making a comeback. Demand for electricity continues to rise and fast-growing regions like the South and Southwest need more base-load generating capacity. Since the early 1990s, the overwhelming majority of capacity additions relied on what was then cheap and abundant natural gas for fuel – only to face higher costs when the price of gas soared. Renewables can't meet the growing demand alone, so utilities are turning back to nuclear and coal.

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