The news out of the United Kingdom on Monday was that they’re going to be giving the go-ahead to start the process of building 10 new nuclear power plants in England and Wales.  According to the BBC, most of the new plants will be built on sites where there are already nuclear power plants in operation.  They’re hoping to fast-track the plants so that they’re ready to start operating by 2018.   As a world leader in nuclear energy AREVA’s EPR™ reactor technology is  already under consideration for a number of these new  plants. 

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband says that developing the plants will create 9,000 jobs and be an important part of the UK’s climate-change plans, along with an increased use of renewables and development of clean coal technology.

The UK gets it: Nuclear power has an essential role to play in the world’s CO2-free energy future.  They’ve decided that investing in the nuclear renaissance is a necessary part of combatting climate change and improving the economic situation for thousands of Britons. 
Will the USA be the next nation to announce a big investment in clean, reliable, CO2-free nuclear energy?  As the discussion about the climate change bill heats up on Capitol Hill, we’re hoping that it will.  The economic and environmental benefits of the nuclear renaissance are apparent.

• For more analysis on this move, we highly recommend Dan Yurman’s excellent write-up.