Around six in ten Americans now favor expanding nuclear power opportunities to generate electricity, according to a Pew Research Center poll released Thursday.
Support for nuclear energy is up from 43% in 2020 and has surged among both Republicans and Democrats over the past few years, according to the poll. Though large swaths of the American public have previously panned the energy resource over nuclear waste concerns, support is rising for nuclear energy as electricity costs rise, an energy crisis looms and President Donald Trump seeks to bolster the resource.
Respondents told Pew they support the resource because of its efficiency, economic benefits, safety and carbon-free electricity generation.
“[Nuclear power plants] are currently the only carbon-free form of power generation capable of producing large amounts of power efficiently, and without the downside of being dependent on weather conditions,” one respondent told Pew. “They are a clean source of energy that can produce a massive amount of energy for the amount of money and time invested in them.”
Another respondent highlighted the efficiency of nuclear power, telling Pew that “we’ve learned to maintain safety with nuclear power. (Think of military usages such as submarines and aircraft carriers.) It’s clean and waste can be safely handled.”
The poll was surveyed in April and May and released Thursday. Though support for nuclear has increased on both sides of the aisle over the past few years, Republicans remain more likely to favor nuclear energy expansion, according to the poll.
Most people who oppose nuclear power cite safety concerns as their main reason at 44%, according to the poll. The partisan gap in support for nuclear power is tighter than for other energy resources like offshore oil and gas drilling or coal mining.
The poll also noted that those surveyed were still more likely to favor expanding solar and wind technology over nuclear power, at 77% and 68%, respectively. Support for solar and wind has dipped since 2020, largely driven by a drop in Republican approval, according to the poll.
Trump has signed multiple executive orders to boost nuclear power in the U.S. while warning of a national energy emergency. Some Democrats have also moved to expand nuclear energy opportunities in their states even after major nuclear power plants recently shuddered as some environmental activists cheered, including Democratic Govs. Kathy Hochul of New York and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
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