Russia Plans to Power Arctic Oil Drilling With Floating Nuclear Plants

New oil and gas drilling in the Arctic ocean off the coast of Siberia could be powered by floating nuclear power plants, according to Russia's nuclear energy agency, and off-shore plants may also be built to provide energy for remote towns and military outposts. The Russian nuclear agency has reportedly signed a deal to build four plants for towns in the far northern Siberian Republic of Yakutiya, and is currently constructing its first floating nuclear plant for a defense facility by the White Sea. But environmental groups are most alarmed at the prospect of using the portable plants to power oil and gas drilling.