More than half of United States citizens are supportive of nuclear power because of its reliability, economic influence and minimal pollutants compared to other energy sources.
That is according to a survey last week from the non-profit environmental research organization, ecoAmerica. It found that 52 per cent of citizens either “strongly” or “somewhat” support nuclear energy infrastructure in the country.
Political affiliation was a key factor in the study’s results and Republicans were the primary supporters. Fifty-nine per cent of them favoured atomic energy while 53 per cent of Independents and 48 per cent of Democrats reported their assent.
The survey was conducted in mid-September among 1,000 participants using SurveyMonkey software. ecoAmerica says it used the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to weigh the country’s general population and accurately reflect its citizens’ demographic composition.
The survey had a 3 per cent margin of error, approximately, and found that 54 per cent of Americans incorrectly believe that nuclear power contributes to air pollution. Currently, nuclear power provides about 20 per cent of the electricity in the U.S.
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Concerns about nuclear safety in the U.S. have waned in the past five years
Nuclear health and safety concerns dropped by 6 per cent overall between 2018 and 2023, according to the survey data. Concerns regarding the safety of nuclear waste disposal among citizens dropped by 11 per cent during that time period as well.
ecoAmerica says 71 per cent agreed that nuclear plants generate electricity reliably and that they have a positive impact on the American economy while reducing pollution.
Sixty-nine per cent of American citizens said nuclear power stations keep the U.S. competitive and energy-independent and that they should be kept running until more inexpensive renewable energy becomes available.
The non-profit also says 68 per cent of respondents concluded that nuclear plants should be kept running because they are cost-effective in the long term and less harmful to the environment than other alternatives.
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Canada has similar statistics
The rate of support for nuclear power in Canada is relatively similar, according to data released last month by Vancouver’s public opinion and market researcher Ipsos.
The company found that 55 per cent of Canadians support nuclear power for electricity, 63 per cent agree that nuclear plants in the country should be refurbished and 51 per cent think new nuclear plants should be constructed domestically.
Sixty-two per cent of Canadian citizens think that nuclear energy can help Canada meet climate change goals and 58 per cent believe nuclear power can be considered a clean form of electricity, according to the data.
Support for nuclear power in the U.S., Canada and abroad continues to grow and there are currently about 60 nuclear reactors under construction throughout the world. Those power stations require a vast amount of uranium fuel and certain companies will be capitalizing on that demand.
The world’s top five uranium companies by market capitalization are BHP Group Ltd (NYSE: BHP), Cameco Corporation (TSX: CCO) (NYSE: CCJ), Kazatomprom (FRA: 0ZQ), NexGen Energy Ltd. (TSX: NXE) and Uranium Energy Corporation (NYSE American: UEC).
Cameco, NexGen and Uranium Energy Corp attribute much of their financial success to Canada’s top uranium mining jurisdiction: the Athabasca Basin. NexGen just received government approval for a major operation in the region, which it says will be capable of producing over 23 per cent of the world’s uranium supply once it is operating at full capacity.
Certain companies like ATHA Energy Corp. (CSE: SASK) (FRA: X5U) (OTCQB: SASKF) have been working diligently to establish their stature in the region through vast electromagnetic surveys identifying high-priority drill targets. ATHA aims to transition from explorer to developer in the coming years and contribute to the steady supply of uranium needed for an increasing number of nuclear reactors.
ATHA Energy is a sponsor of Mugglehead news coverage
rowan@mugglehead.com
