Missourians Show Strong Support for Nuclear Power
Today, Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future (MBEF) released the results of a statewide survey conducted March 24 – 26, to gauge Missourians’ opinions about nuclear power. Our survey demonstrates strong public support for nuclear power, construction of a second nuclear power plant and keeping open the option of more nuclear power for the state. A summary of the results is available here and full results are available here.
The survey, taken after widespread news coverage of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, found that 53% of Missourians continue to support the use of nuclear power compared to only 29% who oppose it. Even more respondents, 60%, said they support constructing a new nuclear power plant in Missouri. And by a margin of 66% of 27%, respondents believe Missouri must not close off the option of building a new nuclear power plant.
So what does this tell us? Quite a bit. In fact, this polling data backs up all the efforts we’ve made to pass a nuclear site permit bill in the General Assembly. Overwhelmingly, respondents support the use of nuclear power. Even more believe we should keep open the option of constructing a second nuclear power plant. And why wouldn’t they want to? Construction of such a state-of-the-art nuclear power plant could be Missouri’s best bet for keeping electric rates low in the long-term, and it would bring thousands of jobs to our state, billions of dollars in economic investment and provide us with clean, reliable energy.
But we have to remember that those jobs, that investment and that affordable, reliable clean energy are not possible without a nuclear site permit bill. For that reason, we will continue to urge President Pro Tem Mayer and Speaker Tilley to listen to the people of Missouri – and a majority of their legislative colleagues – and pass the nuclear site permit bill.
