The United States plans to extend the lifespans of existing nuclear reactors and support new technologies as it seeks to revive an industry seen as crucial to its energy security, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday. US Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette told an International Energy Agency conference on nuclear and hydrogen in Paris that both technologies were crucial for reducing carbon emissions and boosting energy security. The U.S. nuclear industry has been in the doldrums for years because of competition from cheap natural gas and falling costs wind and solar power costs. Several nuclear plants have closed while a project to build two reactors in South Carolina […]