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Don’t close nuclear power plants merely because they are old! /  François Lévêque, EU  Energy Policy Blog, 31/03/2011http://www.energypolicyblog.com/2011/03/31/don%E2%80%99t-close-nuclear-power-plants-merely-because-they-are-old/The  Fukushima nuclear on-going accident has led to a growing concern about  electricity generation from nuclear origin which will undoubtedly have  long term impacts on nuclear new-build. In the short term a debate has  emerged in the European Union about the safety of the 143 nuclear power  plants in operation. In particular, it is argued that the oldest nuclear  power plants should be closed because they are more dangerous. Is there  any evidence that older NPPs are less safe? We argue that policy makers  need to look beyond this simplistic criterion...