Atoms for Peace: Nuclear Power

After 1945, governments sought peaceful uses for nuclear energy. On 8 December 1953 President Dwight Eisenhower gave his 'Atoms for Peace' speech at the United Nations, proposing international cooperation on civilian nuclear technology. In June 1954 a small reactor at Obninsk in the Soviet Union became the first to supply electricity to a grid. Britain's Calder Hall, opened in 1956, was the first commercial-scale nuclear power station, and the US Shippingport plant followed in 1957.

The International Atomic Energy Agency was created in 1957 to promote peaceful uses and guard against weapons development. After the oil crises of the 1970s, France built many reactors, making nuclear power its main source of electricity. Supporters stress nuclear power's low carbon emissions and reliable output; critics point to radioactive waste, accident risks, high construction costs and links to weapons.