For a generation, the public per- ception of nuclear energy has been mired in the past, with nuclear largely absent from discussions about future U.S. energy policy. No new nuclear plants have been ordered in two decades, and the last commercial nuclear plant came on line in 1996. The legacies of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl created a perception that the industry was stagnant, with little potential for growth and an uncertain future. Notwithstanding this public amnesia, the nuclear industry has been busy getting its house in order and now ranks as the nation's second leading source of electricity.
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