The Nuclear Energy Institute's Missing Link

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The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the peak nuclear industry lobby group in the U.S., is an enthusiastic promoter of the idea of a "nuclear renaissance." NEI publishes NEI Nuclear Notes, a blog linking to stories hyping the prospects for an expanded role for nuclear power in a carbon-constrained world. However, a recent profile on the financial prospects of the French nuclear company, EDF, doesn't rate a mention. With plans for 11 new reactors -- four in Britain, four in the U.S., two in China and one in France -- EDF figures highly in the nuclear industry's growth plans. (EDF is also a part of a consortium wanting to build four reactors in Italy and another in the United Arab Emirates.) However, The Economist reports that "to the dismay of advocates of a nuclear renaissance, the cost and complexity of embarking on several big projects at once is weighing on the firm, despite its size and government backing."