President Barack Obama has announced more than $8bn (£5bn) of federal loan guarantees to begin building the first US nuclear power stations for 30 years. Two new plants are to be constructed in the state of Georgia by US electricity firm Southern Company. Mr Obama said the plants would be "safe and clean" and were needed to meet the country's future energy needs. There have been no new nuclear power plants started in the US since the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island. The accident was caused by the partial core meltdown of one of the reactors at the site in Pennsylvania, which resulted in a release of radioactive gases into the atmosphere.

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