Economics and financing of future power: Is there a case for nuclear?

The most recent projections by the International Energy Agency of world energy demand and supply to 2010, points to a nearly 50% increase in world energy demand and regions outside of the western world will consume the greatest share. The projected growth rate from electricity is expected to be fulfilled mostly by natural gas. Examined in this paper are the factors that influence the economics of nuclear energy and the ability to finance it. Public perception may hinge on future nuclear performance in the former Soviet Union and in Eastern and Central Europe, the IEA's recent work with the World Bank and European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on the power sector of that region is briefly discussed. Finally, brief reference is made to some of the principal issues that might bear on the role of nuclear power in the twenty first century, in particular its relation to environmental policy and the role of natural gas in electricity production. 9 refs., 1 tab