Nuclear Discussion Just That

NZ’s iconic 21-year-old nuclear ban has returned to the news, both as a sideline issue in the recent parliamentary elections, and through a National Power Union-commissioned white paper on the pros and cons of nuclear power. “There are limits … with NZ’s mostly hydroelectric power generation, which depends a lot on the weather and is having a hard time keeping up with growing demand,” says an NZNPU spokesperson. “All options are on the table: better conservation, more efficient generation, other power sources. And nuclear power is something else people are discussing.” A repeal of the 1984 ban is considered highly unlikely by most media and political commentators. “This is really a defining issue for New Zealanders,” says an unidentified MP to ISN. “We are the country that did not bow to US pressure. We are the country that has a clean environment in part because we are nuclear free.”