Nuclear power: Economic, safety, health, and environmental issues of near-term technologies

Abstract

Nuclear power is confronted with a number of challenges in the near term. One major constraint is the economics of nuclear power, driven by both the high capital costs and financial uncertainties. The second is concern about catastrophic accidents; despite the development of newer reactor designs, the possibility of such an accident has not been completely eliminated. A third is to find a way of disposing nuclear waste that is technically feasible and politically acceptable to the public. Copyright © 2009 by Annual Reviews.