Nuclear energy

This article gathers some international news and information concerning nuclear energy. According to EdF (French electricity producer) in 2001 nuclear power plants produced 16 % of the electric power production in the world and 35 % in the European Union. 446 nuclear reactors were operating and 35 were being constructed. The American department of energy (DOE) has announced that within the framework of the program Nuclear Power 2010, it will help electric power producers to build new nuclear plants by financing partially the pre-feasibility studies of new sites. The allocated budget is 17 millions dollars over 4 years. According to a recent opinion poll 78 % of the Swedish population are favourable to nuclear energy, 19 % are favourable to the planned decommission of the 11 operating reactors and 3 % have no opinion. (A.C.)