Prospects power up for nuclear energy

American energy utility NRG Energy is planning to build two reactors for nuclear power in Texas. Its application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for permission to construct the reactors marks the first such request in the United States for three decades.

Meanwhile, Italy is reversing a 20-year post-Chernobyl moratorium on nuclear fission research to participate in the scientific development of 'Generation IV' nuclear reactors. How exactly the country will contribute to the Generation IV research has not yet been revealed. The planned next generation of nuclear power plants is intended to improve nuclear safety and to minimize waste and natural-resource use compared with the current generation of plants.