The British Public see a major role for nuclear power stations as part of a balanced energy mix, according to a key opinion poll on nuclear.

The Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) has released its 2011 public opinion findings which show that over three quarters of the public believe nuclear power is a necessary part of a diverse mix of energy sources to ensure secure supplies.

The NIA’s polling was conducted by YouGov, and is released annually in December ahead of the trade association’s flagship Energy Choices conference.

Key findings from the survey show that:

• Agreement that “Britain needs a mix of energy sources to ensure a reliable supply of electricity, including nuclear power and renewables” has risen to 77% from 68% in the summer, while just 11% disagree.
• Nuclear energy was ranked as the most ‘reliable’ in terms of ‘keeping the lights on’ compared to four alternatives 
• Overall people see the advantages of nuclear energy in terms of cost, climate change and reliability.
• Household energy bills were high on people’s list of priorities with four out of five people either very (34%) or quite concerned (45%) about this issue.
• A third of respondents (31%) thought nuclear energy might lead to lower prices and a third that prices would be unaffected.
• Waste, safety and cost dominate what people would like to know about nuclear energy

NIA Chief Executive Keith Parker said:

“The fact that over three quarters of people believe that nuclear energy is necessary as part of a balanced energy mix shows a real recognition of the important role nuclear energy plays in ensuring a secure low carbon and affordable energy supply.

“In 2010, nuclear energy had its highest public support in over a decade. Favourability fell following events at Fukushima, but as this poll shows it is again rising towards 2010 levels. Building upon the engagement the industry has already undertaken, it is important that we continue to engage, inform and discuss the issues of nuclear energy with the public in an open and honest dialogue.”

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