New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) Even though the India-US civilian nuclear deal remains stalled due to domestic political compulsions here, US ambassador David Mulford Thursday pitched for nuclear energy, saying it is “clean, safe and competitively priced.” “In the US, there are applications for new nuclear energy reactors. There is a considerable new interest in nuclear energy,” Mulford told reporters on the sidelines of a function on World Environment Day at the American Center.

“Nuclear energy is good, clean and safe energy which is competitively priced,” he said when asked what he thought of nuclear energy in the context of the emerging global discourse about climate change.

“China has made a major commitment to nuclear energy. In the US, there is renewed interest in nuclear energy,” he replied when asked what he thought of India’s stance on nuclear energy in the context of a new global renaissance about nuclear energy.

The American envoy also called for greater cooperation between India and the US on the issue of climate change which is going to top the agenda at the forthcoming G8 summit in Japan.

“India has a lot to contribute. It has an extraordinary biodiversity and well-educated people,” the US envoy pointed out when asked what India and the US can do together on the issue of climate change.

“India is a major partner in global efforts to control global warming. India and China are major partners in this pursuit,” he stressed.

“There has been an exchange of ideas between India and the US,” he replied when asked whether India has shared a draft on climate change with the US which is being prepared under the guidance of Shyam Saran, prime minister’s special envoy on the nuclear deal and climate change.

“The debate on climate change is gathering momentum,” he stressed.

Underlining success stories of Indo-US cooperation in wildlife resorts at Ranathambore and Sariska, the US envoy also called for greater cooperation between India and the US in the area of the preservation of wildlife, specially that of endangered species.