Publication - September 27, 2010
Public safety concerns around nuclear power necessitate high levels of regulation. From a risk perspective, this means that projects may be subject to delays and cost overruns as safety regulations are subject to changing and more stringent regulatory requirements.
In addition, the ‘politicization’ of nuclear energy adds significant political risk through political interference or outright turnaround in government support for nuclear power after electoral changes. The recent decision by the Obama administration to reject the planned nuclear waste storage site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, after 20 years of planning and at a cost of at least $ 9 billion (US dollars), is illustrative of this.
Nuclear Power: Regulatory Risks