Whether we have other alternatives to satisfy our energy needs is debatable. The point is we can't put all our eggs in one basket. Today oil is $93 a barrel; when it hits 120-130 in the next few years, we will be at the mercy of others like Saudi Arabia or Iran. And the s**t will hit the fan, literally, as people riot on high power prices. That is why an expanded energy basket consisting of coal, oil, hydel, nuclear and wind is a much safer option, we won't have to sell our soul, as you put it, to anybody, including Iran, Saudi or US.
As far as nuke power is concerned, Britain gets 20% of its power from nuclear power, and France 80%. Russia is building new generation neutron reactors, and is among the world leaders in the field and is willing to export them to India.
Policymakers and nuclear scientists in india, irrespective of which party is in national government, have a blueprint for nuclear power, which envisages Thorium based reactors in about 30-40 years time. But those reactors have not yet been built and comprehensively tested. To graduate from our current nuclear phase to throium power, there is an intermediate stage where will have no option but to use a mix of thorium an uranium. We do not have enough reserves of uranium in our country to meet this national blueprint. hence the call by scientists to import uranium to meet our requirements during this phase. And hence the need for a nuclear deal, among others.
