A troubled market

摘要

In spite of the fact that climate change continues to be an increasing cause for concern, the world does not seem likely to turn away from carbon-emitting fuels very quickly. The increasing low-cost production of natural gas through hydraulic fracturing (tracking) has slowed interest in nuclear power deployment in some countries around the world, and particularly in the United States. The economic advantages of gas have more than offset concerns about the environmental impact of its carbon emissions. While this may be reversed in time, it could be several decades before this occurs. In the meantime, the nuclear renaissance that was envisaged about five years ago has been put on hold in much of the so-called Western world, although not in China or India where industrial and residential demand is expected to go through substantial expansion.