[NRG1973]

I’m not sure it’s shorelines themselves, but it does seem clear to me that you shouldn’t put a plant where the required backup generators can be disabled by a tsunami.

Thats hard to do in Japan. Over there its common for mountain ranges to rise up within 10-15 miles of the shore line. I guess it comes down to a dliemma betweeen locating the nuclear reactors in the mountains (where they could be affected by earthquakes, landslides and volcanoes) or near the shore (where earthquakes, tsunamis and pacific hurricanes can affect them). Considering that Japan has very little coal, oil or natural gas they are sorta' locked into muclear power.

[thackney]

Considering that Japan has very little coal, oil or natural gas they are sorta' locked into muclear power.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/Japan/Electricity.html

Japan Electrical Generation (2007~2008)
Natural Gas 30%
Coal 25%
Nuclear 24%

Hydroelectric 9%