The LA Times takes John McCain's energy plan to task.

McCain claims that nuclear power is clean, safe and cheap, but it is none of the above. Nuclear waste remains hazardous for millenniums, and this country still hasn't developed a practical way to store it. The risk of meltdowns or other serious accidents remains high, there is a small but persistent threat of nuclear materials falling into the hands of terrorists, and the cost of building new plants, even though it's subsidized by the federal government, is prohibitive.

McCain can be forgiven for ignoring or downplaying such issues; they're mostly technical challenges that could someday be resolved. He can't be forgiven for pretending that his goal of building 45 plants in 22 years is practical, nor that it would make any difference if it were.

The great majority of the 104 nuclear power plants in the United States are nearing the end of their useful lives; by McCain's 2030 deadline, roughly half may have to be decommissioned. So even if it were possible to build so many plants so quickly, there's a good chance they still wouldn't replace those that would be closed -- meaning the amount of energy the U.S. derives from nuclear power wouldn't change. And it is extraordinarilyunlikely that McCain's goal could be met. Because of the regulatory and community hurdles that must be overcome to build a plant, experts think it would take more than a decade from planning to completion for any new project. Add to that the fact that even though investors have applied for 10 licenses for new plants since September 2007, no U.S. utility has dared to build one since the Three Mile Island disaster in 1979.

This is a constant topic of conversation in my household with one of the kids completely convinced that nuclear energy MUST be part of a comprehensive energy plan.

I have calmly explained that it is not a source of clean energy but the boy simply will not listen.

In my opinion the future of our energy has nothing to do with nuclear or fossil fuel energy, and everything to do with wind, solar, and electric energy. I am always unhappy to see my future President Barack Obama and my future Senator Mark Begich talking about opening ANWR or allowing offshore drilling. But at lest they are not talking about creating more nuclear waste that will continue to pollute the planet for hundreds of thousands of years.

Spending money on those enterprises seems like a step backward when our country is desperate to move forward in solving our energy needs.