In 1999, shortly before the 20th anniversary of the Three Mile Island accident, analysts for the environmentalist Worldwatch Institute declared that the nuclear power industry was facing a "slow slide to oblivion."

Although it's still the case that no new nuclear plants have been ordered since the near-meltdown at Three Mile Island grabbed the world's attention in 1979, the Worldwatch experts may have spoken too soon.

Nuclear power now looks like it may escape oblivion and make a comeback after all. Consider recent developments:

• The omnibus energy bill, which cleared Congress in late July, provided a significant boost for the nuclear industry.
• Starting with a January interview by the Wall Street Journal, President Bush had spoken out several times this year in favor of government actions to pave the way for nuclear power's revival as a cornerstone of the nation's energy future.
• Meanwhile, even before the energy bill's passage, there were recent murmurs of possible interest in building new nuclear plants from some electric power companies.
• Lawmakers have also been considering a new way to solve a longstanding problem –- what to do with existing plants' radioactive waste.
• And a few cracks are starting to show up in the environmental movement's once-monolithic opposition to nuclear power.

Even if new plants are ordered and a new waste disposal method authorized, years will pass before they are actually constructed and operational. But now may be the time for journalists to catch up on recent developments and to ready themselves.

There will be plenty of coverage opportunities –- existing plants' performance records; siting and licensing debates regarding new plants; and transportation and siting issues related to disposal, to name just a few.

Here are a few places to start a refresher (or beginning) course on nuclear power issues: –- The Washington Post reported just after the energy bill was passed that the nuclear industry was probably its "biggest winner." The Post story details subsidies and other aids the measure grants to nuclear power.

–- Another Post story reported that even with such incentives, financial experts believe "the launch of new plants is at least a decade away –- if ever."

–- The New York Times has published a number of articles this year, examining different aspects of a possible rejuvenation of nuclear power. In March, one story looked at the search for a new and improved reactor design. In May, another article discussed industry's cautious interest in jump-starting nuclear power, despite Bush's avid "cheerleading" role. In June, the newspaper reported on a method for disposing of nuclear waste that might emerge as a leading alternative to deep burial at Yucca Mountain, Nev. And in May, the Times highlighted an emerging debate among environmentalists, in which at least a few seem willing to reconsider the environmental movement's longstanding antipathy to nuclear energy.

–- Stewart Brand, a prominent environmentalist writer, made the environmentalist case for nuclear power, focusing on its role in fighting fossil-fuel-caused global warming, in a recent article in MIT's Technology Review.

–- Environmentalist arguments against an expansion of nuclear power are detailed by numerous advocacy groups, such as the Union of Concerned Scientists. Examples include the material on the UCS website and in an article in the group's magazine.

–- Ample information in favor of nuclear energy can be found through the Nuclear Energy Institute's website, which includes links to recent pro-nuclear columns and many other documents.

–- Not all skepticism about nuclear power comes from environmental groups. In January, the U.S. Energy Information Agency declared in its "Annual Energy Outlook 2005" that "new plants are not expected to be economical." (Keep in mind that this report was written before Congress included economic incentives in the energy bill.)

–- Information about regulation of existing nuclear plants is available from the federal agency that oversees nuclear power generation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

–- A reminder of the sorts of problems that have marred nuclear power's record came earlier this year with the NRC's largest-ever single fine, (see http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/apr2005/2005-04-22-04.asp) which was handed to the operator of the Davis-Besse plant in Ohio.

-- Meanwhile, as this article from Australia indicates, public discussion about reviving nuclear power and global climate change is not confined to the U.S.

When it comes to being ready for a possibly resurgent domestic nuclear power industry, reporters may want to keep in mind the old Boy Scouts motto:

Be prepared.