2025 National Nuclear Energy Public Opinion Survey: U.S. Public Support for Nuclear Energy Remains High
Ann Stouffer Bisconti, PhD
Bisconti Research, Inc.
June 2025
72% favor nuclear energy vs. 28% who oppose. The 2025 National Nuclear Energy Public Opinion Survey[1] finds continued highly favorable public opinion of nuclear energy, despite a slight drop since 2024. Four decades ago, the numbers for favor and oppose were about even.
29% strongly favor nuclear energy vs. 6% who strongly oppose. Those who strongly favor nuclear energy outnumber those who strongly oppose by 5 to 1.
Favorability to Nuclear Energy 1983-2025
Overall, do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose the use of nuclear energy as one of the ways to provide electricity in the United States? (%)
Opinions NOT polarized. The myth of polarized public opinion about nuclear energy is a thing of the past. A majority of Americans are fence-sitters on nuclear energy—they somewhat favor or somewhat oppose nuclear energy, with more tending to favor. Among persons with a strong opinion, those in favor outnumber those opposed by 5 to 1.
This pattern holds true across demographic groups. More men and Republicans strongly favor nuclear energy, but few in any demographic are strongly opposed—in all cases, less than 10% strongly oppose nuclear energy.
Favorability by Demographics
Overall, do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose the use of nuclear energy as one of the ways to provide electricity in the United States?
Perception gap. A perception gap still exists. Many people think that community opinion about nuclear energy is less favorable than their own. Respondents are about evenly divided on whether the majority of people in their community favor or oppose nuclear energy; in contrast, 72% personally favor nuclear energy, and just 28% are opposed.
Perception Gap: Perceptions of Public Opinion Compared with Actual Opinion (2025)
Do you think that the majority of people in your community favor or oppose nuclear energy? (%)
Overall, do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose the use of nuclear energy as one of the ways to provide electricity in the United States? (%)
The public is divided also on their perception of how public opinion is changing; 41% believe that public opinion is becoming more favorable, but a majority believe it is not changing or has become less favorable.
Whether Public Opinion About Nuclear Energy is Changing (2025)
Based on what you hear or see, do you think that U.S. public opinion toward nuclear energy is becoming more favorable, less favorable, or not changing at all?
More informed, more favorable. One of the reasons why so many Americans take middle positions on nuclear energy is that they don’t feel very well informed about this energy source. In 2025, only 15% feel very well informed on the topic, 47% somewhat well informed, 31% not too well informed, and 7% not at all well informed. The correlation between the level of feeling informed and attitudes is striking. Among those who feel very well informed about nuclear energy, 66% are strongly favorable and only 6% are strongly opposed.
Feel More Informed, More Favorable (2025)
How well informed do you feel you are about nuclear energy?
Overall, do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose the use of nuclear energy as one of the ways to provide electricity in the United States?
Some awareness of current nuclear energy topics. It should be no surprise that most of the public does not feel very well informed about nuclear energy, as nuclear energy is rarely part of the public discourse. However, substantial numbers did say that they had heard about some current nuclear topics.
Awareness of Hearing About the Following Topics
One last question: Have you heard anything about the following topics during the past year or so?
Reasons for opinions primarily are need for energy (those who favor) and danger (those who oppose). Respondents were asked in an open-ended question the reasons for their opinion of nuclear energy. For those who favor nuclear energy, the word energy stands out. Favorable respondents mentioned specific attributes to a lesser degree--reliable/reliability/dependable, efficient/efficiency, clean/cleaner/carbon/emissions/climate, and cost/cheap/cheaper.
For respondents opposed to nuclear energy, the words dangerous/danger and nuclear stand out. Other words include environment/toxic/waste/pollution, cost/expensive, and bad.
Reasons for Opinions on Nuclear Energy
What are the main reasons for your opinion of nuclear energy?
Those Who Favor Nuclear Energy
Those Who Oppose Nuclear Energy
Perceptions of nuclear power plant safety more favorable than unfavorable. Perceptions of the safety of operating nuclear power plants are far more favorable than in the 1980s and 1990s but less favorable than a decade ago. Now, 57% rate safety high, and 23% rate safety low. The remainder hold a middle view. Given the positive safety experience in the U.S., it is possible that foreign issues such as the war-threatened plant in Ukraine and discussion of Iran’s nuclear plans may influence safety perceptions. Recent dramatization of the Chernobyl accident also may have influenced perceptions.
Perceptions of Nuclear Power Plant Safety (1984-2025)
Thinking about the nuclear power plants that are operating now, how safe do you regard these plants? Please think of a scale from "1" to "7," where "1" means "very unsafe" and "7" means "very safe." The safer you think they are, the higher the number you would give.
88% agree that U.S. global leadership in nuclear energy important, but most do not care much.
Importance of U.S. Global Leadership in Nuclear Energy (2025)
What is your opinion about U.S. global leadership in nuclear energy?
87% support license renewal, and 64% would build more plants. Opinions about license renewal for “nuclear power plants that continue to meet federal safety standards” and for “definitely building more nuclear power plants” also are favorable in 2025. Since these questions were first asked in 1998, most of the public has agreed with license renewal of nuclear power plants that meet federal safety standards. In contrast, barely half the public (47% in 1998) supported definitely building more nuclear power plants. Those agreeing that we should definitely build more plants rose in recent years to a high of 72%. While that number fell 7 points between 2024 and 2025, it remains high.
Support for Renewing the License of Nuclear Power Plants That Continue to Meet Federal Safety Standards 1998-2025
How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements: When their current operating license expires, we should renew the license of nuclear power plants that continue to meet federal safety standards. (%)
Support for Definitely Building More Nuclear Power Plants 1998-2025
How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements: We should definitely build more nuclear power plants in the future. (%)
26% aware of SMRs. Only one-fourth of the public think they have heard about advanced-design nuclear power plants called Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
Recall Hearing about Advanced-Design Nuclear Power Plants Called Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) (2025)
Have you heard anything about advanced-design nuclear power plants called Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)?
The description of SMRs as “advanced-design nuclear power plants” conveys the image of something innovative to both those who recalled hearing something about SMRs and those who did not. Those who recalled hearing something about SMRs were much more likely than others to envision these plants as clean energy, reliable, safe, and affordable.
Perceptions of SMRs (2025)
How much do you think that each of the following describes advanced-design nuclear power plants called Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)? Give your best guess.
Those Who Recalled Hearing About SMRs
Those Who Did Not Recall Hearing About SMRs
Reliability, affordability, and clean air most Important of 8 electricity features. At the start of the survey, before any mention of nuclear energy, respondents were asked about the importance of 8 considerations in the way electricity is produced. All 8 features rated high in importance, but reliability, affordability, and clean air topped the list, with over 60% rating them extremely important. Efficiency was close behind.
As always, there is consensus across demographic groups on clean air, but not climate change. Those rating “climate change solution” extremely or very important included 89% of Democrats, 72% of Independents, and 59% of Republicans.
Importance of 8 Electricity Features (2025)
How important to you are the following considerations for the way electricity is produced?
Rating 8 Electricity Features Extremely or Very Important by Demographics
The public links nuclear energy most with reliability, efficiency, energy security, and energy independence. All 8 features that the public considers important are attributes of nuclear energy, but many Americans do not associate them closely with nuclear energy. Least associated with nuclear energy are clean air and climate change solution. Fewer women and Gen Z link the features closely with nuclear energy, as exemplified by their answers on reliable electricity and clean air.
Association of 8 Features with Nuclear Energy
Do you associate nuclear energy a lot, a little, or not at all with each of the following?
8 Features: Importance and Association with Nuclear Energy
How important to you are the following considerations for the way electricity is produced?
Do you associate nuclear energy a lot, a little, or not at all with each of the following?
Reliable Electricity and Clean Air: Importance and Association with Nuclear Energy by Demographics
Information showing that nuclear energy is the most reliable clean energy source is surprising and changes attitudes. At the end of the questionnaire—after asking all the trend questions—the survey tested the impact of information that showed graphically the capacity factors of four clean energy sources. The information was surprising and strengthened favorable attitudes.
First the survey found that only 30% see nuclear energy as the most reliable clean energy source. Solar energy was chosen first.
Which is Most Reliable Clean Energy Source? (2025)
Which one of the following is the most reliable clean energy source?
Next respondents saw the following information:
The most reliable clean energy source is nuclear energy. Please read the following information.
Nuclear Energy is America’s Most Reliable Clean Energy Source:
Average Capacity Factors of Nuclear, Hydro, Wind, and Solar in the U.S. in 2024
Capacity factor is the percentage of electricity a power plant actually produces compared to the maximum it could produce if it ran at full power all the time. On average, the 94 U.S. nuclear power plants ran at full power at least 90% of the time every year since 2004.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration
70% of respondents found the information surprising—41% called it very surprising.
How Surprising is Information that Nuclear Energy is the Most Reliable Clean Energy? (2025)
How surprising to you is this information that nuclear energy is the most reliable clean energy source?
The information increased those strongly in favor of nuclear energy from 29% to 44%--a 15-point upward shift. Those opposed to nuclear energy dropped from 28% to 15%--a 13-point downward shift, and those strongly opposed dropped from 6% to 4%.
Favorability to Nuclear Energy Before and After Information (2025)
Thinking again, do you strongly favor, somewhat favor, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose the use of nuclear energy as one of the ways to provide electricity in the United States?
Nuclear experts trusted most for information. As always, nuclear scientists and engineers topped the list of sources that the public sees as best for accurate information about nuclear energy. Antinuclear groups, social media, and members of Congress “from your state” were rated lowest.
Accurate Sources of Information about Nuclear Energy (2025)
Please rate each of the following as a source of accurate information about nuclear energy.
Conclusions
The 2025 National Nuclear Energy Public Opinion Survey continues to challenge myths about public attitudes toward nuclear energy.
Myth 1) Public opinion toward nuclear energy is polarized. Untrue and outdated. A majority of the U.S. public now sits in the middle with uncertain and highly changeable opinions. Of persons with strong opinions, those who are favorable outnumber those opposed by about 5 to 1. Of those who feel very well informed about nuclear energy (just 15% of the public), those who are strongly favorable outnumber those strongly opposed by 10 to 1.
Myth 2) The public is informed about nuclear energy. Largely untrue. Few feel very well informed. Reasons expressed to favor nuclear energy include mention of some specific features, but none stand out like the need for energy. Similarly, persons opposed to nuclear energy primarily mentioned unspecified danger and nuclear.
Reliability is the most important consideration to the public in the way electricity is produced; 94% rated it extremely or very important, but only 59% associated reliability a lot with nuclear energy. Clean air is extremely or very important to 89% of the public in the way that electricity is produced, but only 42% associated clean air a lot with nuclear energy. Only 30% selected nuclear as the most reliable clean air energy—compared with solar, wind, and hydro. More selected solar. The fact that nuclear energy is the most reliable clean air energy (by far) is surprising and, when shown graphically and referenced, this information powerfully strengthens favorable opinion of nuclear energy.
[1] The new national survey was conducted from May 28, 2025 to June 8, 2025, by Bisconti Research, Inc., using a nationally representative sample drawn from the Quest Mindshare Online Panel of 3.5 million people in the U.S. The trend lines show annual averages until 2014, as multiple surveys were conducted in each of the earlier years for the Nuclear Energy Institute. All surveys included samples of at least 1,000, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
© Ann Stouffer Bisconti, 2025.