On May 31, 2011, the Atlantic Council Energy and Environment Program and The Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, co-hosted a conference titled “After Fukushima – The Future of Nuclear Energy in the United States and Europe.” The goal of the conference was to promote a sober and forward­-looking transatlantic discussion on the future of nuclear energy in the Europe and the United States.
The Conference produced a productive exchange of views on the political and economic incentives and impediments of an increased role for nuclear energy as a carbon-free energy resource and contributed to identify possible avenues of nuclear energy cooperation between various stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic.  

In the wake of Fukushima, public opposition to nuclear power ticked upward as the people witnessed the worst case scenario play out before their eyes. However, with the notable exceptions of Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, thanks to nuclear energy’s contribution to low-carbon energy strategies, expanding demand for baseload electric power, and its capacity to enhance energy security by reducing dependency on imported natural gas or oil, nuclear power’s growing popularity around the world seems poised to continue. This expansion is largely concentrated in high growth regions, such as China and India, which are currently building 27 and 11 nuclear reactors, respectively, of the 65 reactors under construction worldwide.

PRESS COVERAGE

Europe & Eurasia Japan Nuclear Nonproliferation Security & Defense United States and Canada