Quiet for a number of decades, commercial nuclear power is forcing its way back onto grids and into the consciousness of energy professionals worldwide. The change in outlook and increase in nuclear reactors is driven primarily by the East, experts say, centered in Asia's rapidly growing and increasingly energy-hungry countries.

Of the last 39 nuclear reactors to come online, 28 of those have been in Asia. Of those reactors currently under construction, 20 out of 35 are located in the region. In