Neither candidate is expected to do much to spur the construction of new nuclear power plants. With natural gas so cheap, new nuclear plants are simply not cost competitive in most markets.

Romney may make a move to restart construction at Yucca Mountain, the Nevada ridge that was supposed to act as a permanent repository for the country's nuclear waste.

Obama halted construction there during his first term in response to concerns over the site's suitability and opposition from the majority of the state's residents -- notably Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The Obama administration continues to search for an alternative to Yucca Mountain. In the meantime, the nation's nuclear waste remains stored -- some say unsafely -- right where it was generated: at nuclear power plants across the country.

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