Countries Cautiously Weigh A Return to Nuclear Power

Twelve years after the 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster, Japan is now considering restarting its shuttered nuclear reactors to combat rising energy prices. It’s a slow process, and one where the government and the public are conflicted about the advantages and risks of nuclear power.

Around the world, countries that turned off their reactors in the wake of Fukushima, or have closed old or expensive reactors, are doing a similar about-face, with rising energy prices and clean energy commitments changing their calculus. That’s inevitably raised questions about the safety of potentially running these aging behemoths to more than double their expected lifespan.

Bloomberg’s Japan energy reporter Shoko Oda joins this episode to talk about the country’s decision to restart its nuclear reactors and lingering anti-nuclear sentiment in the country.

Power and renewable energy editor Will Wade also joins to describe how governments around the world are rethinking their nuclear stances, squeezed by rising energy prices and climate targets. 

And Dr. Jessica Lovering of Good Energy Collective, a pro-nuclear think tank, makes an advocate’s case for how nuclear power fits into the mix for clean energy over the next 30+ years.

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