Global nuclear energy: an uncertain future

Nuclear energy currently accounts for a declining share of global electricity, but it is possible that rising concerns about global climate change and China's ambitious nuclear program could reverse this trend. This review attempts to assess the global future of nuclear power, showing how the optimistic forecasts in the early days of nuclear power have been replaced by far more modest forecasts. The review first discusses the controversies surrounding nuclear power. It then briefly examines the prospects for three proposed reactors of the future: Small Modular Reactors; Generation IV breeder reactors; fusion reactors. It finally discusses the social and political context for nuclear power, both today and in the future.