in fact, there are 23 of them. in cities like toms river, new jersey, cedar rapids, iowa, and vernon, vermont. they account for nearly a quarter of this country's 104 nuclear reactors. and the industry remains confident about their safety. >> we think we're pretty well equipped. we have guidelines in place, emergency operating procedures, training on severe accidents. >> reporter: could it happen here? >> well, a tsunami of the magnitude in japan, i don't know. >> reporter: that from an industry which has been hoping for a rebirth of nuclear energy in the u.s. >> this is the nuclear industry's worst nightmare. >> reporter: nuclear energy is one of the cornerstones of president obama's effort to wean this country from fossil fuels. one prominent senator says it is time for a moratorium on new nuclear construction. the white house won't go that far, telling abc news in a statement that the president is committed to learning lessons from japan so that nuclear energy can be produced here safely. david kerley, abc news, washington. renewing an important debate