ABSTRACT
Electricity generation by nuclear power began in 1955 with a small reactor in the Soviet Union. Since then, the growth of the industry has been dramatic. There are currently 421 operating nuclear power plants in the world, and another 144 reactors planned or under construction. In addition to the 32 countries with operating power plants, another 27 have some form of nuclear facility. Though the industry is widely perceived to have fundamental problems, there are actually few signs of its demise.
