Fossil fuels are reliable sources of electricity in the short run but unfortunately there is a finite supply of them. That finite supply is dwindling as more countries industrialize. Which is why I think we should be pushing nuclear power, libs or no libs, as well as keeping an open mind about renewables if and when they become cost effective.
The Chinese and Indians would build nuclear plants and that had been their plan. The bottleneck has always been 24/7 experienced personnel to run the plants. These plants are often situated in remote, rural areas. Finding, training and retaining staff has been a monumental problem.