Why this is a pivotal time for the development of renewable energy policies.

With December's UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen looming, and as we grow ever more conscious of our effect on the environment, the pressure to develop new sources of renewable energy increases.

Thanks in part to this trend, nuclear power is currently undergoing a well-documented revival, both here in the US and abroad. Often billed as an environmentally friendly option because of its zero carbon emissions, nuclear has been hailed as the potential savior of countries keen to cut back on CO2 while keeping their power-hungry populations happy.

It makes nuclear the obvious choice for a fledgling government seeking popular support - which explains the positive spin put on nuclear by President Obama, who even mentioned it in his presidential acceptance speech.

But nuclear comes with some not-so-hidden downsides. Those with long memories will still be haunted by visions of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. And quite apart from the potential for a leak or ‘core damage incident' - admittedly mitigated by improvements in technology and safety since the 1970s and '80s - there is the problem of storing the radioactive waste produced by the nuclear fission process.

These issues are serious enough to make the reintroduction of nuclear power controversial in some quarters, resulting in a dilemma for Obama and his team. How to appease both sides? The apparent answer is to talk up the positive aspects of new nuclear while holding back on handing out any actual cash for its development. As Associate Editor Natalie Brandweiner discovers in her in-depth look at the new administration's nuclear policies, such a delicate juggling act can be a hard one to keep up.

Elsewhere in this issue, American Electric Power CEO Michael Morris outlines his stance on renewable energy sources. In his view, our current generation and transmission system must be restructured if we are to reach our ultimate goal of becoming greener and less dependent on fossil fuels. He warns, however, that those who believe we can do this without spending any extra money are fooling themselves.

We also take a look at the latest news on the smart grid, often touted as an essential element in our drive toward increased energy efficiency. Will governmental wrangling thwart its development?

It just goes to show that unless we can work things out at a political level, all the effort we put into resolving our environmental issues will go to waste. That's why events like Copenhagen are so important - without them, the future of our planet may hang in the balance.