American Support for Nuclear Power Increased in 2024 as Concerns Wane 

ecoAmerica’s latest survey reveals rising support for nuclear power, with Republicans, males, and Americans over 65 among the top supporters. Meanwhile, wind and solar power remain highly favored. The findings also show bipartisan support for funding research and development in wind, solar, and nuclear energy. Additionally, most Americans recognize oil and coal as polluting sources. And, while concerns about nuclear power remain in the majority, they have eased over time. Addressing climate change requires a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, and ecoAmerica’s new research points to opportunities for education, engagement, and action. 

Over Half of Americans Support Nuclear Power 

American support for nuclear power is increasing. ecoAmerica’s latest poll shows that 55% of Americans say they either “strongly” or “somewhat support” nuclear power, which is a 3-point rise from 2023 and a 6-point rise from 2018. Over the seven years of fielding this survey annually, ecoAmerica has consistently found that more than half of Americans have supported nuclear power, with a peak of 61% support in 2022. 

Republicans, Males, and Americans Over 65 Among Top Nuclear Supporters 

Republicans show the greatest support for nuclear power (61%) compared to just over half of Democrats and Independents (52% and 53%, respectively). Across the sexes, male-identifying Americans emerge as strong supporters of nuclear power (67%), whereas female-identifying Americans indicate weak support (41%). The strongest support across all demographic groups is among Americans over 65 years (71%), while the weakest support is among Americans between the ages of 18-24 (39%). 

More Americans Support Nuclear for Economy, Pollution Reduction, Reliability and Energy Independence 

Support for nuclear power has grown for several key reasons. The majority of Americans (70%, 8-point rise since 2018) said nuclear power helps us grow our economy while reducing pollution that harms our climate and health. Most Americans also say nuclear power plants generate electricity reliably (69% in 2024 vs. 64% in 2018) and keep America competitive and energy independent (68% in 2024 vs. 61% in 2018). 

Additionally, most Americans believe nuclear power plants should be kept running until lower-cost renewable energy becomes available (70%) or as long as they are cost-effective in the long term (68%). And 67% say they support nuclear power because it does not emit pollutants that contribute to climate change. 

Americans Favor Wind, Solar, and Nuclear Over Oil, Coal, or Methane 

Nearly three-quarters of Americans (72%) say wind and solar should receive more research and development (R&D) funding from the United States, and over half (56%) support more R&D funding for next-generation nuclear energy. 52% support R&D spending on natural gas (made up largely of methane), while few Americans support R&D spending on oil (42%) or coal (30%). These findings indicate ripening social conditions for accelerating the transition away from coal, oil, and gas. 

The results also show that Republicans and Democrats are less divided on support for nuclear R&D than for other energy sources. 56% of Democrats and 62% of Republicans say that the United States should spend more on next-generation nuclear R&D, which is only a 6-point divide. In comparison, there is a 21-point difference between the parties for oil, 14-point difference for coal, and 12-point difference for gas.  

Americans See Wind and Solar as Least Polluting 

A majority of Americans recognize that oil (70%) and coal (69%) contribute to unhealthy air pollution and climate change. Half of Americans say natural gas (methane) contributes, too. Nearly half of Americans (49%) believe nuclear energy contributes to unhealthy air pollution and climate change, and under a quarter (23%) believe that wind and solar energy contribute. These findings indicate there is an opportunity for education on energy sources, pollution, and climate change.¹ 

Nuclear Energy Concerns Wane But Remain in the Majority  

As seen in the chart below, while overall concern about nuclear power remains high, fewer Americans report concerns about health and safety, waste disposal, security and weaponization, and overpopulation in 2024 versus 2018. However, in the 2024 survey, ecoAmerica finds a 3-point rise in concern about the cost of nuclear energy.² 

Health and safety and waste disposal remain top nuclear concerns in 2024, with 74% and 72% of Americans concerned, respectively. 

Over time, Democrats and Independents show a 10-point and 11-point drop, respectively, in health and safety concerns. While Republican concern remains lower than other political parties, their concern for health and safety has risen since 2018, from 67% to 72%. 

Concern for waste disposal has decreased across all parties since 2018. The greatest 17-point drop is observed in Democrats, with concern dropping from 92% in 2018 to 75% in 2024. For Independents, concern drops by 13 points, and for Republicans, it drops by 9.

 

 ¹ Coal, oil, and natural gas cause far more deaths from air pollution, mining, and plant operations than nuclear, solar, or wind. Solar, nuclear, and wind account for the lowest death rates and greenhouse gas emissions, in that order. 

 ² Department of Energy (DOE) research shows that combining nuclear with renewables and storage can lower decarbonization costs by about 37% by reducing energy generation and transmission costs. 

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Full data featured in this blog is available in the accompanying toplines.

Methodology

ecoAmerica designed and administered this survey, which was conducted online from July 24 – August 9, 2024, using Survey Monkey. The survey yielded a total of 1,011 complete adult responses and used the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to weigh the national general population and reflect the demographic composition of the US. The sample was drawn from an online panel, and the respondents were screened to ensure that they were over the age of 18. The margin of error for the sample is +/-3%. In interpreting the survey results, it is important to note that all sample surveys are subject to possible sampling errors. Thus, the results of a survey may differ from the results that would be obtained if the entire population were interviewed. The size of the sampling error depends upon both the total number of respondents in the survey and the percentage distribution of the responses to a particular question. For example, if 50% of the respondents in a sample of 1,011 respondents answered “Yes” to a particular question, we can be 95% confident that the true percentage would fall within 3 points or range from 47% to 53%. 

Suggested Citation
Speiser, M., Ishaq, M. (October, 2024). American Climate Perspectives Survey 2024. Vol III. American Support for Nuclear Power Increased in 2024 as Concerns Wane. ecoAmerica. Washington, DC. 

© 2024 ecoAmerica. The contents of this report may be shared and used under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. 

ecoAmerica does not hold a formal position on nuclear energy.

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