France to cut nuke energy reliance
Lawmakers in France, the world's most nuclear-dependent country, on Friday voted to cut reliance on the energy source from more than 75 percent to 50 percent within a decade.
The vote comes as part of an ambitious makeover of France's energy use promised by President Francois Hollande in 2012.
The measure calls for renewables to increase in the energy mix for electricity production, rising from 23 percent in 2020 to 32 percent in 2030.
Use of fossil fuels should drop to around 30 percent.
Meanwhile, in the Republic of Korea, voters in coastal city Samcheok on Thursday rejected plans for building a nuclear power plant in a referendum the government said has no legal effect.
The city was picked for the plant following an application by Samcheok's previous administration. But attitudes have shifted since Japan's 2011 nuclear disaster at Fukushima.
Some 85 percent of the 28,867 residents who cast ballots said no. Out of 42,488 who registered to take part, turnout was 68 percent.
Supporters of the nuclear plant boycotted the vote. The city has 61,000 registered voters in total.
The result underlined a split between the national government, which is pushing nuclear power as a cheap energy source in a country that imports almost all its oil and gas, and residents who are increasingly wary about safety.
The ROK relies on its 23 nuclear reactors for about one-quarter of its power. Plans call for increasing that to 29 percent by 2035.
AFP - AP
(China Daily 10/11/2014 page11)
