Nuclear Prospects Unclear
According to the Worldwatch Institute's
latest Vital Signs Update, nuclear power grew by less than 2,000
megawatts in 2007, to 372,000 megawatts total. This growth is
one-tenth the amount of new wind power capacity installed globally in
2007.
This snapshot of important nuclear data and trends reveals that:
- Four countries (China, France, Russia, and South Korea) were
building seven new nuclear reactors in 2007 that will account for
5,190 megawatts of new capacity—100 megawatts less than was
completed in 2006.
- The commercial nuclear industry has retired 124 reactors since
1964.
- Asia showed the most growth, with China and India accounting for
more than a quarter of the nuclear capacity currently being built
worldwide.
- Construction delays and cost overruns continue to plague the
nuclear industry, raising questions about the economic viability of
future projects.
Of the 34 reactors currently being built, 12 have been under
construction for 20 years or more. The two reactors now being built in
the Americas, one in the United States and the other in Argentina,
began construction in the 1980s.
Read the Vital Signs Update:
Nuclear Power Crawls Forward
Worldwatch Institute - 1776
Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
Tel +1 202.452.1999 - Fax 202.296.7365 -
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