This might sound silly but maybe it's not. What if a rock from space slams into the reactor? What if some idiot goes crazy that works there? What if there is an attack on one like 9/11 or Oklahoma? What if a major earthquake hits one? Some what ifs are probably crazier than others but there are enough unknowns that make me question, are they worth losing half the country over if one of these what ifs happen?
If a rock from space (asteroid genius) hits the earth it won't really matter where it falls.Also space agencies will see it in advance and if it's not big enough to threaten humanity yet can wipe out a reactor than it can also be easily redirected to the ocean.
Not to mention that new age reactors are built deep in the earth with an emergency automatic (you talked about crazy employees) system that drops the whole reactor deep deep into the earth and covers it with concrete.
Don't you think that having thusends of ships,trucks,fuel pipes and so on filled with explosive liquids in the middle of crowded places are more dangerous?
For the meantime atomic energy is by far the greenest one, especially with new age recycling, IIRC even the old rods today get recycled and just about nothing is turned into radioactive waste.
Now if you want a more broad energy program than invest a fraction of that bailout to Thermoelectric conversion (increasing just about any process on earth efficiency dramatically, including the inefficient turbines that dominate power production) and start building more solar stations and invest money in reducing the fabrication costs of Ga-As multi junction solar cells.
There is already a company that won some big projects with concentration dishes but they use a special Sterling motor, which is a great invention by itself.
Piezoelectric have a great future too, they got to 98% efficiencies, that's nothing short of amazing that's as efficient as anything can be.
Most of the technology is already here, all that is missing is the money and contract to mass produce and make it financially feasible.
Your Obama is a sham, he can dramatically change the entire power grid by the time for the next election.