The Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents were deadly for the reputation of nuclear power, but as time has passed, people have begun to reconsider the energy source. In just three years, support for nuclear power has grown by 14%, from 43% in 2020 up to 57% of Americans in favor of nuclear energy. A majority of support comes from the Republican party, with 67% of Republicans in favor of the generation of nuclear energy opposed to the 50% of Democrats.

This increasing encouragement for nuclear energy has likely affected policy change, as seen by the decisions made regarding Diablo Canyon. Eight percent of the energy used in California is produced by the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, which was scheduled to be shut down in 2025. When the governor, Gavin Newsom, ran for office in 2016, he made it clear that he intended to let the plant die, but as public support for nuclear energy has grown, a bill was passed in 2023 to lengthen its life for another five years.

Growing support for nuclear energy is also showing in other nations. Especially in Europe, where dependence on natural gas became debilitating because of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, countries are building new power plants and extending their lives.

It seems as though the reputation of nuclear power has begun to heal, but only time will tell if this recent endorsement will make a significant impact on the global energy sector.

This week’s Synopsis was a bit shorter, as they were originally intended to be, and I enjoyed taking a brief look at the current views on nuclear energy, because obviously as an advocate it’s important to be educated.

Something that was shocking to me as I was researching this topic is that Democrats and environmentalists are much more likely to oppose nuclear power than Republicans. I know that there are concerns with the waste and potential disasters, but as an environmentalist who strongly supports nuclear energy, I would have figured that others would be in favor of a clean energy source that can produce on a huge scale.

Next semester I’m starting my Science Learning Club which will initially focus on nuclear energy, so I thought it was a good idea to refresh on the topic and obtain more background information. I really look forward to our discussions, and I’m sure you’ll be reading more about nuclear energy in the near future, so stay tuned to learn with me!

Miltimore, Jon. “Why Nuclear Power Is (Quietly) Making a Big Comeback All around the World.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2023. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/NTXBDF586801372/OVIC?u=rock89639&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=cec83a2e. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023. Originally published as “Why Nuclear Power Is (Quietly) Making a Big Comeback All Around the World,” Foundation for Economic Education, 5 Sept. 2022.

Growing share of Americans favor more nuclear power

Growing share of Americans favor more nuclear power