WASHINGTON, June 21 (UPI) -- Nuclear energy will continue to play a role in the U.S. energy mix as industry leaders and regulators learn the lessons from Japan's disaster, an official said.
A magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami in March caused widespread failures at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant prompting international concerns over the safety of nuclear power.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that eight of the country's 17 nuclear reactors would shut down immediately. The remaining plants would close by 2022. Italian voters passed a similar measure last week.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman addressed the plenary session at the International Atomic Energy Agency's ministerial conference on nuclear safety, saying nuclear energy was still an attractive resource.
U.S. President Barack Obama, he said, supports nuclear energy as part of a low-carbon energy portfolio in the country.
"But President Obama has also made clear that we must always remain focused on how we can continue to improve the safety of our nuclear facilities, to bolster our emergency preparedness plans and to expand our response capabilities both in the United States and abroad," Poneman said in his address.
Delegates at the IAEA conference called for stronger national and international measures to ensure the safety of nuclear energy. Safety standards, officials said, should be reviewed and strengthened continuously.
