Tony B seems to think it might be...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4454468.stm

... Would it not make sense to invest in reducing the carbon foot print of industry and peoples homes with better insulation, thermal panels (made a significant dent in my parents heating bills) and more efficient boilers etc. (Don't mean to sound like some sandal wearing green with a beard.)

Also with no solution for the radioactive waste generated already, it would seem that a proper long term plan is required for what, where and how we are going to store it.

Hey pab - check this site

http://www.iter.org

Experimental fusion reactor which is planned to be built... This is the future of clean energy production.

Bring it!!!!!

Squid

After the disasters at Chernobyl, I don't think anyone will be promoting more fission reactors in the near future. The possibility of a clean, practical, fusion reactor is really tempting, though.

There has to be a reliable and foolproof solution to the waste issue, and there is a lot of fear of what could happen with nuclear power plants. I don't think the environmental risk is worth it for fission reactors.

The reactor design SquidRing linked to is interesting, and untested. Intriguing, but will it work?

It surely would be a great benefit if it does, but we need to be careful about managing the environmental risks. I'm really tentative, but willing to make reasonable attempts with proper safeguards.

What good is cheap electricity if you can't survive producing it?