A regulatory framework that penalizes carbon dioxide emissions would improve nuclear’s competitiveness in the US, but greater policy clarity may be required for new nuclear investments to replace shuttered facilities like San Onofre and Yankee.

Nuclear is not without its detractors, which have a laundry list of concerns, ranging from potential for terrorist attacks to safe waste disposal. And recent media commentary has been rife with stories about the end of US nuclear being nigh, often citing the the difficulty of competing with cheap natural gas in electricity generation.

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