The United States plays a leading role in nuclear energy, contributing around 30% of worldwide electricity production. Meanwhile, the Civaux Nuclear Power Plant in southwestern France generates approximately 70% of its electricity from nuclear sources, making it the highest globally.
Recent energy security worries, spurred by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, have led to a renewed global interest in nuclear energy. Countries across Asia, Europe, and beyond view nuclear power as a reliable energy source amid geopolitical uncertainty, rising electricity needs, and the urgent challenge of climate change.
The United States, as part of this trend, recently signed a thirty-year civil nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia. However, this agreement is not yet in effect.
This resurgence in nuclear power marks a significant shift from the past when the development of nuclear facilities slowed down. Historical accidents like the Three Mile Island meltdown in 1979 and the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 had previously intensified public concerns about the safety of nuclear technology.