Public Opinion on Nuclear Energy - Where is it Headed?

Uranium (Nuclear Minerals) / Nuclear Power - Economics, Design, & Industry

Date posted: 03/28/16

Ann S. Bisconti, PhD, President, Bisconti Research, Inc.opines that as she awaits the results of the ongoing NEI Spring 2016 Public Opinion Survey on Nuclear Energy, two other surveys have raised the question ... Where is public opinion about nuclear energy headed? Scientific American Plugged In, March 23, pondered the dramatically different results from questions about nuclear energy asked in polls by Gallup and the University of Texas (UT) and essentially ended puzzled, concluding that polls are faulty. But wait a minute. Both polls are accurate, she claims, and she thinks we can learn lessons about public opinion by studying them. The Gallup Annual Environmental Poll includes one question about nuclear energy, an NEI tracking question ... Overall, do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose the use of nuclear energy as one of the ways to provide electricity in the United States. Gallup found 44% in favor and 54% opposed in 2016, a big drop in favorability from 2015, and headlined that, for the first time, a majority of Americans oppose nuclear energy. The UT Energy Poll asks ... Based on what you know, to what extent do you support or oppose the use of nuclear energy? (Strongly oppose, somewhat oppose, neither support nor oppose, somewhat support, or strongly support, not sure). In contrast to Gallup, UT found that support increased from 2015 to 2016. Currently, the poll shows, 39% strongly or somewhat support nuclear energy, 26% strongly or somewhat oppose nuclear energy, and 35% neither support nor oppose. Bisconti indicates that there are some lessons from these polls that are consistent with what we know from 33 years of comprehensive NEI research on public attitudes. For example...Public opinion about nuclear energy is, for the most part, not strongly held. The UT poll shows many people in the middle, and so do NEI surveys. I2M WP Eds suggests the above is as it should be. People are expecting the scientists to decide.