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Majority in U.S. Wants More Nuclear Plants
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many American adults voice support for nuclear power, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 55 per cent of respondents believe more nuclear power plants should be built in the United States.
More than 100 nuclear reactors supply close to 20 per cent of the electricity used in the U.S. In May 2005, U.S. president George W. Bush pushed for the construction of new reactors, saying, "America has not ordered a nuclear power plant since the 1970s. France, by contrast, has built 58 plants in the same period. And today, France gets more than 78 percent of its electricity from nuclear power. In order to make sure you get electricity at reasonable prices, and in order to make sure our air remains clean, it is time for us to start building some nuclear power plants in America."
In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. On Nov. 4, Democratic nominee Barack Obama secured a majority of electoral votes, defeating Republican candidate John McCain. Obama will become the first African American president in U.S. history when he takes over from Bush—who served two four-year terms—on Jan. 20, 2009.
In July 2007, during a debate of Democratic presidential hopefuls, Obama discussed his views on nuclear energy, saying, "I actually think that we should explore nuclear power as part of the energy mix. There are no silver bullets to this issue. We have to develop solar. I have proposed drastically increasing fuel efficiency standards on cars, an aggressive cap on the amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted."
Polling Data
Should more nuclear power plants be built in the United States?
|
Yes |
55% |
|
No |
27% |
|
Not sure |
18% |
Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 likely American voters, conducted on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.