Sentiment toward nuclear power improving: study

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Consumers around the world, worried about reliable energy supplies and pollution, said their nations should reduce use of oil, natural gas and coal to make electricity in favor of nuclear and renewable power, according to a 20-country survey by Accenture.

Results of Accenture’s Multinational Nuclear Power Survey showed that 88 percent of the more than 10,500 respondents said reducing reliance on fossil-fueled power generation was “important” or “very important” to improve energy security and trim emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas blamed for climate change.

Response ratios ranged from lows of 72 percent in Russia and 74 percent in Japan to highs of 98 percent in Brazil and 96 percent among Germans.

Electricity from wind, solar and other renewable sources was seen as one way to pare the need for fossil-fueled electricity, but more than one-third of those surveyed said more power from nuclear plants will also be needed to cut oil, gas and coal use.

Reuters