Nuclear energy enables countries to:
    - reduce their reliance on imported fossil fuels and electricity imports
    - increase their energy independence
    - strengthen security of energy supply.
With greater reliance on nuclear energy, countries are less likely to be seriously affected by fossil fuel shortages and sudden rises in fossil fuel prices. The uranium used in nuclear fuel is available from various countries with a long history of political stability, including Australia and Canada. This has a stabilising effect on uranium prices and supply. Any rise in uranium prices would have only a minor impact on the cost of a nuclear kilowatt-hour, as fuel makes up a comparatively small part of the total cost of producing nuclear electricity. Power plants that burn fossil fuels are more fuel-intensive; producers and consumers therefore face a much greater risk of increased costs due to higher fuel prices.
Many existing nuclear power plants have already been paid for. Their operating costs are therefore low, and the electricity produced is among the cheapest in comparison with other sources. Cost projections show that new power reactors will also be competitive, even assuming low gas prices and heavy subsidies for wind power.
Many studies have recently been conducted to compare the costs of generating electricity by different energy sources, including nuclear, which concluded that nuclear is the most cost-effective power source. The OECD/NEA report, “Projected Costs of Generating Electricity”, underlines the cost advantages, especially at discount rates of 5% and 10%, that nuclear energy has when it comes to generating electricity. These advantages are all the more significant when one considers that demand for energy is set to continue growing steadily across the world. A recent report conducted by the World Nuclear Association (WNA), “The New Economics of Nuclear Power”, draws the conclusion that in most industrialized countries new nuclear power plants offer the most economical way to generate electricity. (Foratom 2006)