Support for expanding nuclear power plants to generate electricity in the U.S. has seen a significant increase across both Republican and Democratic parties since 2020, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.
The survey, conducted in April and May, reveals that 59% of U.S. adults now favor more nuclear power plants, a substantial leap from 43% in 2020. This 16-percentage point jump is primarily driven by rising bipartisan support.
Key Findings on Growing Bipartisan Support
Support for nuclear power has grown by almost equal measures in both major parties:
- Republicans and Republican-leaning independents favoring expansion grew by 16 percentage points since 2020, with 69% now supporting it.
- Democrats and Democratic leaners favoring expansion rose by 15 points, with 52% now in favor.
While Republicans remain more supportive (69% vs. 52%), the partisan gap of 17 points is notably smaller than those seen for fossil fuel sources like offshore oil drilling or coal mining.
This bipartisan increase in support comes as both the Trump administration and members of Congress from both parties have advocated for expanding nuclear capacity.
Nuclear Support Outpaces Wind and Solar Trends
Despite the increase, Americans are still more likely to favor expanding solar power (77%) and wind power (68%) than nuclear power (59%).
However, while support for solar and wind power has declined by double digits since 2020 (largely due to drops in Republican support), nuclear power is the only major energy source that has seen a significant growth in public favor.
Reasons for Favor and Opposition
When asked for their reasoning, those who favor nuclear expansion most commonly cited that it is a clean or low-carbon way of producing energy (40%). Other reasons included efficiency (20%) and safety (13%).
Conversely, opposition is most frequently rooted in safety concerns (44%), including the risk of catastrophe and potential risks to human health.
Concerns about general environmental impact and specific concerns about toxic waste each accounted for 14% of the opposition.
Gender and Reactor Fleet Overview
Attitudes on nuclear power continue to differ sharply by gender: 74% of men favor expansion compared to just 44% of women. This gap holds true across both political parties.
The U.S. currently has 94 operational nuclear power reactors, which collectively generated 18.2% of all U.S. electricity in 2024.
The number of reactors has fallen since its peak of 111 in 1990, but there is recent interest in reviving decommissioned sites, such as the proposed recommissioning of Michigan’s Palisades plant. Meanwhile, Diablo Canyon, California’s last operational nuclear plant, is seeking an extension past its scheduled 2025 decommissioning.
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