Vietnam Going Nuclear

(Hanoi, Vietnam) Notably, there once was a time when the United States led the world in commercial nuclear power technology. That time is distant history.

Vietnam has announced plans to build eight nuclear power plants by 2030 as the Southeast Asian country strives to meet rising energy demand.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved eight nuclear facilities, each with at least four reactors, to be built in central Vietnam with the total output of 15,000 megawatts to 16,000 megawatts over the next two decades, the government said on its Web site Wednesday.

Vietnam has already signed a deal with Russia to build the first plant.