SINGAPORE — Recent startups hardly provide much evidence of the vaunted "renaissance" in civilian nuclear power that promises reliable supplies of electricity without the pollution and greenhouse gas emissions associated with fossil fuels, especially coal.
Only two new nuclear plants began operation last year, one in Japan and the other in India. Since two reactors were shut down in 2009, it left the same number, 436, generating about 15 percent of the world's electricity in 31 economies.
However, the pace of reactor construction is rising, particularly in Asia where rapid growth and demand for electricity makes nuclear power an important energy priority for major economies.