Little wonder Australians are reconsidering the nuclear option for electricity production. The recent wave of euphoric predictions of a global nuclear renaissance from industry promoters has created high community expectations.

But on closer scrutiny, nuclear power's real potential is disappointing. Despite over half a century of intensive subsidisation and promotion, it produces less than 15 per cent of the world's electricity. This may seem hard to believe, given the fervour with which its promoters have been singing its praises of late, but the numbers speak for themselves.

In addition to 430 reactors operating worldwide, 52 reactors are listed by the International Atomic Energy Agency as ''under construction''. Thirteen have been on that list for over 20 years, and 24 still don't have an official planned start-up date.

One oft-quoted goal of the nuclear industry is to grow to 730 reactors worldwide by 2030. This would require one to be completed every 24 days, every year for the next 20 years. And it would assume none currently operating will be shut down. This seems improbable as the average age of operating power plants is 25 years.

Meanwhile the industry gestures excitedly at China (16 under construction), India (seven under construction) and Russia (nine under construction), which are unlikely even to compensate for lost global capacity as older reactors will have to close.