Now, a big move forward for nuclear power in the U.S. This construction site in eastern Georgia will house the nation's first new commercial nuclear reactors in decades.They're to be built at the Plant Vogtle facility, where two existing reactors have operated since the late 1980s. The plant is situated near Waynesboro, Georgia, 34 miles southeast of Augusta, 170 miles east of Atlanta.U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu visited the site today to see the work in progress. Basic construction had begun more than a year ago, anticipating that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would license the new reactors, which it did last week in a vote of 4-1.The reactors are the first to be approved since 1978, the year before the partial meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania.President Obama has several times called for expanding the role of nuclear energy as part of an overall national strategy.By 2035, 80 percent of America's electricity will come from clean-energy sources.Some folks want wind and solar. Others want nuclear, clean coal and natural gas. To meet this goal, we will need them all.
