THE news about uranium in the Northern Territory just gets better and better.

A potential major deposit - possibly as big as Ranger - has been discovered at Roper Bar.

The demand for uranium will grow significantly over the coming decades as the surging economies of China and India demand more energy.

This means that the Territory's all-important resources industry - which creates jobs and wealth for so many - will continue to flourish.

Of course, there are those who have understandable concerns about the storage of nuclear waste.

But there is no danger if the waste is secured in a well regulated fashion.

Nuclear power is a clean and efficient energy - clean compared with coal, efficient compared with solar and wind.

But even the most ardent supporters of nuclear energy see it only as a power source to be used until a practical renewable energy is found.

At the moment, solar does not fit the bill; it is incapable of powering large-scale enterprises, such as industrial complexes.

And wind has proved inefficient, ugly, noisy and a killer of rare birds.

Thermo-nuclear energy - so-called "hot rocks" - has faltered since the failure of South Australia's Innamincka project, but should still be pursued vigorously.

Man will find a good renewable energy. There is no doubt of that. In the meantime, nuclear power will have to hold the fort.