75% of France’s electricity is from nuclear power stations. This came about gradually after President De Gaulle decided to take France out of Algeria and render France energy independent.

In the UK, the first country to use nuclear energy for the generation of electricity about 19% of electricity comes from nuclear reactors but most of the 1950s-vintage Magnox stations are now shut, with the final two due to close over the next two years. After 2023 only one nuclear plant (at Sizewell in Suffolk) will still be working. And although the government wants a new set of nuclear plants built, it will probably be at least ten years before they begin to come online. China intends setting up an additional 8 nuclear power stations over the next three years until 2012 in addition to the 11 already in existence. Italy started using nuclear energy in 1963 but in 1987 after Chernobyl decided to close down its two reactors. In 2009, the Italian Parliament once again voted to reinstate nuclear energy due to the high cost of generating electricity in Italy (about 1.6 times the European average)