This week, MSNBC.com takes an in-depth look into nuclear power in the United States with "Power Play" (www.nuclear.msnbc.com). In a five-part series with reports from senior news editor Mike Stuckey and senior business producer John Schoen, MSNBC.com examines whether the industry is on the verge of a comeback, the power players in the industry, international implications and the business behind nuclear energy. In addition to the stories, the package features a slideshow, a video examining the debate over the re-licensing of the Oyster Creek nuclear plant in New Jersey and an interactive diagram of the inner workings of a nuclear power plant.
"The decision to cover the reversal of nuclear energy's fortunes sprang from our conclusion that the story of how the industry went from being the energy sector's 'unsafe and expensive also-ran,' to the point where upwards of 30 nuclear plants are expected to seek licensing in the coming years, has not been told in a comprehensive fashion," said series editor Mike Brunker. "That story is particularly important given the secrecy surrounding the development of the Bush administration's energy policy in the private deliberations of the Cheney task force."
MSNBC.com previously reported on the quandary surrounding the issue of nuclear waste by focusing on Yucca Mountain, the disputed depository in Nevada, in a 2002 special report: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3072031/.