Israel Electrical Corporation CEO Uri Ben-Noon said Sunday that "the State of Israel is considering building a nuclear power station."

According to Ben-Noon, Atomic Energy Commission Director Gideon Frank on Sunday informed him that the option of nuclear-generated electricity in Israel is being considered.

Though the nuclear power station idea is not new, Frank's reported comment marks the first time that the Atomic Energy Commission, the only body in Israel authorized to carry out such a plan, has explicitly said the issue is under consideration.

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Should the Atomic Energy Commission recommend the building of a power station, the issue would then be brought before the cabinet for approval. Once approved, the infrastructure ministry and other professional bodies would put the plan into motion.

The Israel Electric Corporation has been promoting the nuclear power idea for many years, and has even allotted land in the Negev for the potential power station.

The production of nuclear energy has enjoyed an increase in popularity since the price gasoline skyrocketed in the recent past. Nuclear power stations are in operation in China, India and the United States. In France, a leader in nuclear energy production, 80 percent of the country's energy is nuclear.

The cost of erecting a nuclear power station in Israel is estimated at $1.5 billion, and the energy output of the potential power station would be over 1,000 megawatts of electricity.

Meanwhile, Israel Electric Cooperation (IEC) Chairman Moshe Gavish warned that unless new understandings are reached by 5 March, Israel will be "left in the dark" due to the expiration date of the company's operating license.

"The large majority [of workers] understand that it is impossible to uphold the current situation and the chief argument is over the schedule," Gavish said.

All sides participating in the negotiations over the future of IEC are asking the schedule be deferred, particularly the planned privatization of the state-run company.