The last U.S. uranium mill ever built, in the parched landscape near Ticaboo, Garfield County, shut down almost as quickly as it started operating, as nuclear power fell into disfavor about two decades ago.
Keith Larsen, chief executive for U.S. Energy Corp., picked up the mill 10 years later for practically nothing, banking it for better days. His patience paid off, making Larsen's company one of the few already taking profits out of a new uranium boom.
Suddenly, nuclear power is back in demand as a relatively cheap, reliable and emissions-free solution to the world's insatiable demand for energy, according to an Associated Press article on Page M8 of today's Money section. More than 50 nuclear plants are planned or under construction in a dozen countries.