A recent Nuclear Energy Institute-sponsored poll of 1,000
American adults indicates wide support for nuclear power as the nation looks
for non-carbon energy sources.
When asked how important they think nuclear power will be to
meet future energy needs, 84 percent of respondents said “important,” compared
to 11 percent who said “not important.” Asked if they agreed “we should
definitely build more nuclear power plants in the future,” 66 percent agreed,
compared to 30 percent who disagreed.
“The growing support for nuclear energy in recent years may
be due to greater public awareness of key benefits of the technology,” Ann
Bisconti said in an NEI release.
Bisconti, president of Bisconti Research, which conducted
the poll earlier this month with GfK Roper, added “for the second consecutive
year, the president prominently referenced nuclear energy in his State of the
Union speech.”
Among those surveyed:
– 89 percent agreed that “We should take advantage of all
low-carbon energy sources, including nuclear, hydro, and renewable energy to
produce the electricity we need while limiting greenhouse gas emissions.”
– 79 percent agreed that “To jump-start investment and
maintain U.S. competitiveness, the federal government should provide guarantees
backing loans for building solar, wind, advanced-design nuclear power plants or
other energy technology that reduces greenhouse gases.”
– 84 percent associated nuclear energy “a lot” or “a little”
with reliable electricity
– 79 percent associated nuclear energy with affordable
electricity
– 79 percent associated nuclear energy with economic growth
and job creation
– 77 percent associated nuclear energy with clean air.
The telephone survey’s margin of sampling error is plus or
minus 3 percentage points.
According to NEI, nuclear power plants provide 20 percent of
US electricity (70 percent of the electricity from low-carbon sources) and
operate in 31 states.
The industry’s image has improved in recent years, Bisconti
said: “This research shows 67 percent of Americans viewing nuclear plants as
safe, compared with 35 percent in 1984.”