Nuclear energy policy by country

National nuclear energy policy is a national policy concerning some or all aspects of nuclear energy, such as mining for nuclear fuel, extraction and processing of nuclear fuel from the ore, generating electricity by nuclear power, enriching and storing spent nuclear fuel and nuclear fuel reprocessing. Nuclear energy policies often include the regulation of energy use and standards relating to the nuclear fuel cycle.

Nuclear power stations operate in 31 countries. China has 32 new reactors under construction,^[1] and there are also a considerable number of new reactors being built in South Korea, India, and Russia. At the same time, at least 100 older and smaller reactors will "most probably be closed over the next 10-15 years".^[2] So the expanding nuclear programs in Asia are balanced by retirements of aging plants and nuclear reactor phase-outs.^[3] Global nuclear electricity generation in 2012 was at its lowest level since 1999.^[4][5]

Following the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, Germany has permanently shut down eight of its reactors and pledged to close the rest by 2022.^[6] The Italians have voted overwhelmingly to keep their country non-nuclear.^[7] Switzerland and Spain have banned the construction of new reactors.^[8] Japan's prime minister has called for a dramatic reduction in Japan's reliance on nuclear power.^[9] Taiwan's president did the same. Mexico has sidelined construction of 10 reactors in favor of developing natural-gas-fired plants.^[10] Belgium planned to phase out its nuclear plants by 2025,^[11] later postponed by 10 years to 2035.^[12]

As of 2012, countries such as Australia, Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Israel, Serbia, Malaysia, and Norway have no nuclear power reactors and remain opposed to nuclear power.^[13][14]