Nuclear is safe, but I'm not convinced it is cost effective vs renewables and energy storage - based on the UK's next gen nuclear plants anyway. 30 years is hardly short term either.
Right now it's still much more expensive than nuclear (based on the massive amount EDF spent in France to increase the share of renewables). But I'm sure this will change in the future since prices of renewables are droping quickly.
Right now we know how to power entire countries only with nuclear power. We don't know how to do that with just renewables, which is why e.g. Germany runs coal plants whenever the wind isn't blowing like crazy. It would be much better for our carbon footprint if we replaced the coal plants with nuclear. We can always turn them off once we figured out the whole renewable+storage thing.
