5 Energy Trends to Watch in 20164). Tentative return of nuclear: Following the nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011, countries stalled the development of new nuclear plants, and closed down aging plants outright. But now Japan, the U.S., and some countries in Europe, are taking another look at new nuclear.
The power generation technology is unique in that it provides a large amount of power, around the clock, but doesn’t have carbon emissions. Environmentalists are increasingly beginning to stand behind nuclear for just that reason.
Some of the environmental concerns—like what to do with nuclear waste—are being addressed by a handful of new startups that are experimenting with new reactor designs and materials. Many of these technologies will be deployed outside of the U.S. and Europe first, in countries like China. China could become the world’s biggest nuclear energy provider by 2030.
http://fortune.com/2015/12/30/5-trends-energy-2016/
