John McCain's newest push in his energy campaign is nuclear -- with a plan to build 45 more nuclear power plants. That's a lot -- considering that the utility industry has not brought a new nuclear plant online since 1984. Forty-five new nuclear plants -- each costing $6 billion to $8 billion -- would turn the nation's energy independence upside-down, but is a little lofty. While the cost to run a nuclear power point long-term is low due to the uranium's availability, the utility industry would have to be given some serious incentives to take on this huge up front expense. As I've discussed before, nuclear is a risk -- a long term solution has yet to be discovered for the waste, which stays radioactive for thousands of years. In addition, the public at large, I believe, is still too apprehensive about nuclear power after Chernobyl and Three Mile Island to want to move ahead full-force with 45 new nuclear power plants. If nuclear does take deeper root in the U.S., it's going to be a long process, not one huge growing spurt. –Lindsay Goodier, Online Editor, OilandGasInvestor.com; www.OilandGasInvestor.com; lgoodier@hartenergy.com