Britain looks at new nuclear plants

The British government says it will run out of power in the near future unless it increases its number of nuclear power plants in the country.

Alistair Darling, the Trade and Industry Secretary, said future predictions of power shortages and climate change are leading the government to embrace an augmentation of its nuclear plants, The Times of London reported Thursday.

Darling said the government is examining existing sites as locations for the new atomic power plants. He said it was "more likely than not" that the plants would be built on areas occupied by currently existing plants.

All but one of Britain's existing nuclear reactors and a number of fossil fuel plants are expected to have reached the end of their lifetimes by 2023.

"I firmly believe that the mix we have will serve us well in the future," Darling said. "My view is that nuclear does need to be part of that -- to exclude it as an option makes no sense at all."

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