Exelon, Entergy among nuclear shares that could gain-Barron's

NEW YORK, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Exelon Corp (EXC.N) and Entergy Corp (ETR.N) are among the nuclear-power generator stocks that could gain as the Obama administration pushes for energy sources that do not emit greenhouse gasses, said financial newspaper Barron's on Sunday.

Because nuclear power is considered cleaner than coal and other forms of energy, "nuclear power is in a renaissance," said Barron's quoting Tom Neff, a physist and research affiliate at MIT's Center for International Studies.

Shares of companies that operate existing nuclear plants are cheap, they have lower costs and will be better positioned to protect profits if a carbon tax is imposed by the incoming administration, Barron's said in its Jan. 12 issue.

Southern Co (SO.N) is another stock noted as a possible beneficiary of the new regulatory environment. The company has a yield of almost 5 percent and has low economic sensitivity, Barron's said, quoting an analyst from Westwood Holdings Group in Dallas.

Exelon Corp shares closed at $54.17 on Friday, while Entergy closed at $80.12 and Southern ended at $35.53. All trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Chelsea Emery; Editing by Bernard Orr)