Highlights from the 2023 National Nuclear Energy Public Opinion Survey and the 2022 National Nuclear Power Plant Neighbors Public Opinion Survey. See also the blog post Reverse NIMBY: Nuclear Power Plant Neighbors Say “Yes”

Highlights from the 2023 National Nuclear Energy Public Opinion Survey.

U.S. public support for nuclear energy continues at a record high level, including 71 percent who agree that we should definitely build more nuclear power plants in the future. One type of advanced-design nuclear power plant that is likely to be built in the U.S. is the Small Modular Reactor (SMR). This year’s National Nuclear Energy Public Opinion Survey included some questions to measure current public awareness of SMRs and the appeal of its various advantages.

Observers have offered various opinions about who would be credible spokespersons on nuclear energy topics. Some say that persons who are not associated with the industry would be most credible. Decades of research show that many of these ideas are wrong.

In talking about energy sources, the most meaningful discussion links to public values.

U.S. public support for nuclear energy continues at a record high level. The National Nuclear Energy Public Opinion Survey conducted April 28 - May 5, 2023 found for the third year in a row that three-fourths of the public favor nuclear energy, and about seven in ten support building more nuclear power plants.

Trends on public perceptions of radiation and effective communications were updated in a survey late last year.

This case study of the introduction of nuclear power plant license renewals shows how research and the ultimate outcomes contradicted the industry’s initial timidity. Research also provides guidance for effective communications on the topic.

The ninth national survey of nuclear power plant neighbors finds, once again, that the vast majority of residents living closest to the plants view them favorably. The June 2022 survey, found that 91 percent of plant neighbors hold a favorable impression of their plant, 88 percent are favorable to nuclear energy, and 78 percent would find a new reactor acceptable at the plant site. Even more (86 percent) would find a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) acceptable.

U.S. public support for nuclear energy continues at a record high level. The 2022 National Nuclear Energy Public Opinion Survey, conducted May 10-19, found record high majorities of the public favoring nuclear energy and building more nuclear power plants.

When a power source embodies multiple attributes that are very important to the public, that power source is hard to ignore. A Bisconti Research national survey in May 2022 on what matters to the public offers insights on why nuclear energy has become central to the policy discourse on climate change.

Public perceptions of nuclear power plant safety have become dramatically more favorable over the past four decades. What has accounted for the change, and how have accidents shaped public opinion? The findings of research on public opinion are surprising and guide strategies for effective communications on the topic.

What does a company say and do in the face of an unintended release of a small and safe amount of radioactive material from their nuclear power plant? Research shows effective strategies to allay public concerns.

In communicating about nuclear waste, which most people cannot accurately visualize, a picture is worth a thousand words. Research shows that the public needs to be able to picture the material and learn how it is being safeguarded through physical barriers, regulations, and trained experts in charge.

Studies of the public image of nuclear power plant operators, prompted by the popularity of The Simpsons, found that the image was no Homer Simpson.

After the Chernobyl accident, large samples of scientists were surveyed about their opinions of nuclear power plant safety. The findings, reported at that time, are summarized here.

Testing advertising about nuclear energy for more than three decades found some surprises and some standout lessons about what works. These lessons apply broadly to communications about nuclear energy.