the nuclear option

This summer, I have been learning quite a bit about nuclear energy and the idea of "keeping the nuclear option open" - it is a phrase said so often in British energy circles that it has become a cliché. It's utterance results in groans from the assembled multitude.

But it is a good phrase because it succinctly describes the idea. What needs to be done to keep the nuclear option open? Oh, and before you answer that, there is the trickier: Should we keep the option open?

Two questions I'd like to address on this blog sometime.