Demise of nuclear power: what comes next

Thirty years have passed since US nuclear officials claimed that nuclear power would be too cheap to meter. Since then, massive cost overruns, slow-growing demand, and high interest rates dealt heavy blows to the industry. The industry's preconditions for revival are dominated by regulatory reform and higher electricity rates to pay for the plants being built. These issues do not address the industry's technical and safety problems, however. There is a consensus that nuclear power will not revive without a new reactor design and a restructuring of the electricity business. Choosing between coal and nuclear power does not have to be the solution because energy conservation and renewable sources now prove less costly and able to meet growth in demand. 3 figures, 2 tables