‘Support for nuclear projects up in US’

Though nuclear power projects were not pursued in the US in wake of the Three Mile Island accident in the 1970s,support for nuclear projects is increasing though there were problems regarding capital costs,said Jared L. Cohon,president,Carnegie Melon University and vice-chairman of the executive committee of the 63- member Association of American Universities.

Cohon,appointed by President Barack Obama to the Homeland Security Advisory Council,was interacting with reporters at the state legislature here on Friday. He said nuclear power plants were not pursued in the US because of a “very well-publicised accident” at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant,which was combined with problems in nuclear waste solutions. There is a growing support for nuclear projects now but there were two problems,namely the capital costs and uncertainty on how the government would regulate the plants. Hence,applications are pending with the federal government.