IAEA chief: Interest in nuclear power up despite Fukushima

MANILA, Philippines — The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency says interest in nuclear power has increased, mainly in Asia, despite the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.

IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said Monday that the appetite for nuclear power has grown because of the need to fuel Asia's bustling economies and demand for relatively clean energy amid concerns over climate change.

He said at least 30 developing countries are seriously considering the use of nuclear power.

Amano told a news conference in Manila that: "After the Fukushima Dai-chi accident, some believed that is the end of nuclear power. It was not the case."

The Fukushima disaster displaced more than 100,000 people because of radioactive contamination and spurred a national debate over resource-scarce Japan's reliance on nuclear power.