What Does the Public Value in Electricity Development?
Ann Stouffer Bisconti, PhD
Bisconti Research, Inc.
May 2023
In talking about energy sources, the most meaningful discussion links to public values. As part of the 2023 National Nuclear Energy Survey, Bisconti Research asked about what the public values in the way electricity is produced.
Importance of 10 Considerations for the Way Electricity is Produced
To the U.S. public, 10 considerations for electricity production are extremely or very important. Most important are affordable and reliable electricity. Climate change is less broadly important than most of the other considerations, but it is of top importance to a significant number.
Importance of Considerations for Electricity Production (2023)
How important to you are the following considerations for the way electricity is produced?
Select the two considerations for the way electricity is produced that are most important to you.
% Extremely or Very Important and % Top Two
Gender and Politics
Affordability and reliability dominate for both men and women. Comparing men and women, men give higher value to economic considerations: energy independence, economic growth, energy security, and jobs. Women give higher value to environmental considerations: especially climate change solution and clean air.
The differences are even stronger when comparing respondents who voted for Biden and Trump in 2020. More Biden voters put environmental considerations as most important: climate change solution, clean air, and preservation of natural resources. More Trump voters give top importance to energy independence and energy security.
Most Important Considerations for Electricity Production, by Gender and Politics (2023)
Select the two considerations for the way electricity is produced that are most important to you. (%)
Talking about Energy
The 10 considerations can be cited as attributes of nuclear energy. There is agreement among demographic groups about the high importance of affordability and reliability. Beyond those top considerations, the discussion should focus on the greatest interests of the particular audience. Biden voters and women care more than others about the environmental benefits. Trump voters and men care more about economic benefits, including energy independence, which dominated energy concerns during the energy crises of the 1970s and 1980s. Due to the war in Ukraine, those concerns have returned to the forefront, especially among certain groups.
© Ann Stouffer Bisconti, 2023.