With regard to nuclear energy, there are three pri-
mary energy security considerations. The first has to
do with the physical security of the nuclear facilities
themselves. A Brookings policy report states:
In recent years there have been a number of terrorist
plots against nuclear facilities, including the “alleged”
plot by a group of Pakistani Americans to attack the
Karachi nuclear reactor, initial plans by Al Qaeda to
crash an aircraft into a U.S. nuclear facility, and the
2006 “Toronto 18” plot by an Islamic fundamentalist
group to use a truck bomb to attack a nuclear power
facility in Ontario, Canada (Banks et al. 2010, 2).This threat is shared not only by the nuclear reac-
tors, but also by the locations where spent nuclear fuel
is maintained. The second consideration is the poten-
tial vulnerability of the power grid and the nuclear
facilities to possible cyber attack. The third consider-
ation is related to the previously mentioned concept
of a worldwide nuclear “renaissance.” The Brookings
report cites this renaissance as posing challenges and
opportunities for corporations, governments, and in-
ternational organizations with regard to the nuclear
fuel cycle. While noting that these issues are not new,
the renewed interest by nations to acquire domestic
uranium enrichment and/or reprocessing capabili-
ties, together with a projected construction rate for
nuclear reactors not seen in decades, makes these
challenges significant. The Brookings report proposes
that these actions might be motivated “either by per-
ceived commercial opportunities or energy security
concerns about relying on other nations for the provi-
sion of these services” (Banks et al. 2010, 2). The im-
pact is more nuclear facilities worldwide, facing the
physical and cyber security threats mentioned. With