That's one reason some buyers are interested in existing power plants - so they don't have to go through the regulatory and legal battles that often surround construction of a new power plant. That's a question that will be decided in whatever rules are written to begin implementing the Kyoto agreement or whatever rules are written to address the issue of global climate change outside of the Kyoto agreement. There wasn't a ban, just a marketplace decision that in the wake of the accident that companies risked more than they expected to gain if they built additional plants. The risk being in financing costs, potential litigation, public perception etc. There isn't a single plan, but there are companies who are buying existing power plants or building new ones that they believe can supply the market.
Natural gas looks likely to be the fuel of choice for power plants for the future.
As mentioned above, many of you had questions and comments about the health and environmental impact of the accident. Both Dr. Hatch and Dr. Wing's studies reveal this. Additionally, chromosome damage exclusively due to radiation exposure confirm that local residents were exposed to much more radiation than either government or industry is willing to admit. For details, please see our page on the accident's aftermath . Also see our readers' forum for memories or stories from the 1979 accident.