Obama goes nuclear

On Tuesday, President Obama will announce plans to break ground on two new nuclear reactors at a Southern Company plant in Burke, Georgia -- the  first new U.S. nuclear reactors since the incident at Three Mile Island in 1979.
(ABC News)

This is good news indeed for clean energy policy.  Nuclear power is probably indispensable as a bridge to the next energy breakthrough.

Kudos to President Obama, even if he's making the move with something akin to reluctance:

The White House is making no bones about the fact that they see this announcement as advancing two agenda items: clean energy and efforts at bipartisanship.
"In the State of the Union and at the House Republican Conference retreat, the President made clear that he is willing to work with Republicans towards a comprehensive solution to our energy challenges," a White House official said. "By announcing plans today to break ground on the first new nuclear reactors in nearly three decades, the President is making good on his offer to meet Republicans halfway."

I would hope that nuclear power would be an overwhelming political winner today rather than a mere concession to Republicans.  Public polling from during the 2008 presidential election campaign appears to at least show that people view nuclear power more favorably than not:

Will this move by Obama play well with the the electorate (especially independents) as bipartisanship?  It isn't as though Obama is giving just Republicans a concession.  He is embracing a position of at least plurality popularity.  Beyond the far left, the bipartisan angle is a tough sell.