Public Support for Nuclear Energy and Three Mile Island

There is a growing trend of public support for nuclear energy as a safe, environmentally friendly, and economical energy source.  A public opinion poll conducted in July 2008, by Harrisburg, Pa., based Susquehanna Polling and Research found strong support for nuclear energy and Three Mile Island (TMI).  

Highlights of the public opinion poll include:

License Extension

  • 87 percent of respondents living in the eight county region surrounding TMI support allowing the station to extend its operating license so that TMI can continue to meet the region’s electricity needs. 

Support for Nuclear

  • 74 percent of respondents living in the eight county region surrounding TMI agree that the country should continue to rely on the use of existing nuclear energy plants and keep open the option to build new ones as a way to meet the country’s electricity needs in the future. 
  • More than half of respondents living within the 10-mile radius of the plant have a favorable opinion of Three Mile Island.
  • More than half of respondents in both the eight county region surrounding TMI and those living within the 10-mile radius of the plant agree that the role of nuclear energy is very important in meeting the country’s electricity needs now and in the future.

Clean, Safe, Reliable Energy Source

  • 68 percent of respondents living within the 10-mile radius of TMI believe that Three Mile Island is doing an excellent or good job of providing a reliable source of energy to meet the region’s energy needs, of producing energy that is clean to help minimize the impact on the environment and of providing electricity in a safe manner to consumers.

Poll Overview
Susquehanna Polling and Research asked 800 residents in the region their opinions on Three Mile Island and nuclear energy. The poll includes two separate samples of 400 residents each.  One sample is of residents living within 10 miles of TMI and the second sample is those residents living within the eight county region surrounding TMI.  The margin of error for this sample size is plus or minus 5 percentage points.

To view the complete results of the poll, follow the links below: