UK industry touts public support for nuclear

London (Platts)--7Dec2006

The argument that nuclear should form part of a balanced energy mix has now
been accepted by the British public, attendees at the UK's annual industry
get-together in London were told December 7. Philip Dewhurst, chairman of the
Nuclear Industry Association, or NIA, said the latest opinion poll -- released
December 7 by Ipsos MORI -- showed that 72% of the British public agreed that
the UK needs a mix of energy sources to ensure a reliable supply of
electricity, including nuclear power and renewable energy sources. "That is
progress, indeed," he said. "In Parliament, 61% of Members of Parliament now
believe in and support new build, which is an all-time high. There has been a
massive shift just in the last year alone." The poll, commissioned by the NIA
and carried out in November, surveyed 1,999 people from across the country.
When questioned about the possible construction of new nuclear power stations
in the UK, assuming that the same overall proportion of nuclear energy is
retained, 39% supported them while 29% opposed them, MORI found.