Nuclear energy, a cheap and carbon-free source, could contribute to Europe's battle against climate change, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Thursday according to DPA. Nuclear energy "can help protect our economies against price volatility and reduce dependence on imported gas," Barroso told a nuclear-energy forum in Prague. Barosso, however, said that the European Commission will not promote nuclear power to EU members who have "an absolute right to choose freely." Some EU countries, such as Austria, fiercely oppose nuclear power. The commission's package of climate change and renewable energy proposals omits nuclear power. Currently 15 members in the 27-member bloc generate power in nuclear reactors, Barroso said.
