Republican presidential candidate John McCain announced his plans to nearly double the United States’ nuclear reactors as part of a plan meant to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

The former Vietnam War prisoner and current Arizona Governor said during his speech held yesterday in Springfield, Missouri, that he plans to spend as much as $2 billion to enhance the research in the clean-coal technology, a process that would require about 100 new nuclear reactors.

"This task will be as difficult as it is necessary. We will need to recover all the knowledge and skills that have been lost over three stagnant decades in a highly technical field,'' McCain said.

McCain arrived in Springfield on the second day of a two-week tour to promote his energy security proposal. A few days ago, the presumptive Republican nominee for U.S. President said he supported the idea of easing the offshore drilling ban. President Bush said he will try to convince Congress to lift the interdiction instituted by his father, President George H. W. Bush, in 1990.

However, the Republican proposal regarding the offshore drilling is under heavy fire from his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, and several environmental groups which claim that the drilling process would most certainly have numerous negative effects such as eroding wetlands thus harming the aquatic ecosystems, contaminating the water with chemicals, polluting the air, killing fish and dumping waste.

McCain told the audience that, if elected President, he will set the country on a course to building 45 new reactors by the year 2030. His ultimate goal regarding this problem is to build "100 new plants to power the homes and factories and cities of America," said McCain.

McCain reckons that "this single achievement will open vast amounts" of U.S. abundant resources and will not only produce more energy for it citizens, but will also increase the number of jobs available in the areas hardest hit by our economic troubles.