Support for nuclear power hits new high
Sixty-two percent of 1,014 U.S. adults, who were surveyed March 4-7 by Gallup, said they favored nuclear energy as one way to meet national electricity needs.
Though a majority of Americans has long supported nuclear power, Gallup said the latest rating is the highest since it began polling on the issue in 1994.
Hoping to advance climate legislation in Congress, Obama announced $8.3 billion in loan guarantees for new plant construction in February. The guarantees will help build the first new U.S. nuclear power facilities in nearly three decades.
The Democratic president used the loan guarantees to reach out to Republicans including Senator John McCain of Arizona, whose help he needs to push forward stalled climate legislation that would cap greenhouse gas emissions and expand the use of renewable energy.
A compromise bill being put together in the Senate would further expand federal assistance for nuclear plant construction.
Gallup's latest findings show Republican support for nuclear power a new high of 74 percent this year, up from 71 percent a year ago.
Democratic support stands at a bare majority of 51 percent, down slightly from 52 percent in 2009, the poll showed.
The data have a 4 percentage point margin of error.
Related News
The German economy used to be the envy of the world. What happened?
BERLIN - Germany went from envy of the world to the worst-performing major developed economy. What happened?
For most of this century, Germany racked up one economic success after another, dominating global markets for high-end products like luxury cars and industrial machinery, selling so much to the rest of the world that half the economy ran on exports.
Jobs were plentiful, the government’s financial coffers grew as other European countries drowned in debt, and books were written about what other countries could learn from Germany.
No longer. Now, Germany is the world’s worst-performing major developed economy, with both the International Monetary Fund and…
