Executive Summary
Nuclear energy is experiencing a renaissance in the United States and is becoming a viable option for meeting increasing energy demand for several reasons.

The current state of the industry is positive:

• Nuclear has a proven track record of safe and improving operations;
• Nuclear power is economically competitive;
• Nuclear capacity is increasing, even without building new plants;
• Prospects for license extension for existing plants are positive; and
• The current regulatory environment is stable and constructive.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has successfully implemented the new Reactor Oversight Process. This is a very positive development; it is already resulting in growing public acceptance of nuclear power.