Abu Dhabi Plans to Go Nuclear

(Corrects Bruce Smith's place of employment.)

Even as radiation leaks from crippled plants at Fukushima, countries from China to the Middle East are forging ahead with nuclear power. On Mar. 28, Abu Dhabi confirmed it would proceed with plans for a civilian reactor despite the Japan disaster. "It's a technology we should bring to the region," said Abdulla Saif al-Nuaimi, director general of Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority, at the Arabian Power & Water Summit. Nuclear generation remains the most realistic option, says Jarmo Kotilaine, chief economist at National Commercial Bank in Saudi Arabia: "It's cost-competitive, addresses some of the environmental risks involved in burning crude, and can be built on a large scale."