Thorium: An alternative nuclear energy?

Today I learned about Thorium and its potential as a nuclear fuel source.  Thorium, like Uranium can be used as a nuclear fuel.  The U.S. built a working Thorium reactor in the 1960's but eventually gave up on it because it wasn't useful for producing nuclear weapons.  In today's world, thorium looks like it could be a sustainable energy source for a number of reasons:

• Thorium is very abundant
• Thorium is safer for meltdown risks, and should naturally shutdown during a disruption.
• Thorium may have a lower risk of nuclear proliferation
• Waste will be radioactive for only hundreds of years instead of tens of thousands

So, if it is so great, why we aren't using it?

• Research has been stopped for decades
• Utilities don't have the capital to put into developing complex unproven technologies, especially given the political, economic and technical uncertainties associated with nuclear energy
• Although safer, it is still dangerous and will take considerable effort to figure out how to regulate it
• Actually there is still a nuclear proliferation

In our quest for energy independence it seems like Thorium could be a very good option.  The technology could prove to be an excellent alternative to traditional nuclear and could generate significant cost savings by reducing the meltdown risks and the many costs of mitigating them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium-based_nuclear_power
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v492/n7427/full/492031a.html