What Does the Public Value in Electricity Development?
Ann Stouffer Bisconti, PhD
Bisconti Research, Inc.
May 2024
In talking about energy sources, the most meaningful discussion links to public values. For several years, the National Nuclear Energy Surveys asked what the public values in the way electricity is produced.[1]
Affordability, Reliability, and Clean Air
Respondents rated the importance of 12 considerations for electricity production. All 12 are at least somewhat important, with highest value given to affordability, reliability, and clean air. The next most important group includes energy security, efficiency (connotes “well run”), preservation of natural resources, energy independence, and economic growth. Job creation is given slightly less importance than economic growth.
Importance of 12 Considerations for the Way Energy is Produced
How important to you are the following considerations for the way electricity is produced? Select one answer for each item. (%)
Climate change solution is one of the lower rated considerations to the population overall, and its importance is marginally lower in 2024 than in 2023, despite much media coverage. Climate change is a politically charged issue, with a great gap between Democrats and Republicans. (See below). Small footprint falls at the bottom of the list and requires more visual explanation, as the public may not imagine how much the energy sources differ in the amount of land each uses per kilowatt of electricity generated. The small footprint consideration relates to preservation of natural resources, which rated higher. Overall, trends show little or no change over the past four years.
Percent Rating Considerations Extremely or Very important: Trend
Affordability and reliability dominate for both men and women and those with different political affiliations. Women and Democrats give higher value to environmental considerations—clean air, preservation of natural resources, climate change solution, and small footprint. Independents sit between Democrats and Republicans on these environmental considerations.
Percent Rating Considerations Extremely or Very important, by Gender and Political Party
Talking about Energy
All 12 considerations are characteristic of nuclear energy, although nuclear energy was not mentioned before or with the question. There is agreement among demographic groups about the high importance of affordability, reliability, and clean air in selecting an energy source. But beyond those features, different groups have different priorities. One can see from these data why different groups might come to support nuclear energy for different reasons.
[1] The new national survey was conducted from April 30 to May 2, 2024, by Bisconti Research, Inc., using a nationally representative sample of 1,000 respondents drawn from the Quest Mindshare Online Panel of 3.5 million people in the U.S. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
© Ann Stouffer Bisconti, 2024.