Nuclear Power Crawling Forward

In 2007, global installed capacity of nuclear power grew by less than 2,000 megawatts to 372,000 megawatts.¹ (See Figure 1.) The slight growth in nuclear power is attributable to the addition of three new reactors in India, China, and Romania.² The new nuclear capacity is equi­valent to just one tenth of the new wind power installed globally in 2007.³

Rising gas prices and concern about the carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants have fueled growing interest in nuclear power in many nations.⁴ But only four countries began building new nuclear reactors in 2007: China, France, Russia, and South Korea.⁵ The seven new reactors being built in those countries will account for 5,190 megawatts of new nuclear capacity—about 100 megawatts less than was added in 2006.⁶ (See Figure 2.)

No nuclear reactors were permanently shut down in 2007.⁷ Since 1964, however, the commercial nuclear industry has retired 124 reactors, amounting to a total of 36,800 mega­watts of generating capacity.⁸ (See Figure 3.)