Survey: Clean Air Connection Raises Public Support for Nuclear Energy

Familiarity with nuclear energy and its role as a reliable producer of low-carbon electricity increases support for the technology, according to a new national public opinion survey.

"There's a direct connection between feeling knowledgeable about nuclear energy and favoring it," said Ann Bisconti, president of Bisconti Research. Among respondents who feel very well informed about nuclear energy, 75 percent are in favor and 54 percent are strongly favorable. In contrast, only 18 percent of the self-described "very well informed" group strongly opposes it.

"Those who feel very well-informed about a topic are more likely to become activists for nuclear energy, so this divide is significant," Bisconti said.

The survey found that only one-fifth of Americans feel very well informed about nuclear energy; 42 percent feel somewhat well informed. However, after learning that nuclear energy is the only large-scale source of clean air energy, 86 percent said it should be an important energy source in the future. This includes 59 percent of respondents who initially said they oppose nuclear energy.