TNS Survey Shows US Remains Favorable Toward Nuclear Power, While German Movement to Scale Back Emerges

NEW YORK, June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly eighty percent of U.S. residents feel secure about the overall state and safety of Nuclear energy and power plants, this according to new research from TNS, a global leader in market information.

In light of the dramatic energy policy shift recently announced from Germany as well as the continuing nuclear power plant setbacks in Japan, the survey found an overwhelming 90% of U.S. respondents said these recent events had little to no effect on their concerns over U.S. nuclear energy safety. Support for building new facilities was moderate (45% of respondents supported building new facilities), but only 14% strongly opposed future construction.

"It appears the combination of the international community planning to scale back nuclear power and continued uncertainty about the future effects of the Japan disaster has had virtually no influence on US attitudes toward nuclear power," said Jim Gill, Senior Vice President at TNS. "With nuclear power now embedded as a key pillar of the US energy program, accounting for 20% of US electricity generation, it appears that it will take more than foreign governments' policy shifts and a far-away incident to move the US opinion needle on nuclear energy as a power source."

In a recent White House press conference, President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed future plans for nuclear power.  Ms. Merkel announced her country would close all of its 17 existing reactors by 2022.  Other nations, including Japan, Italy, and Switzerland, have announced plans to pare back nuclear power, but none have gone as far as Germany, the world's fourth largest economy.  However, nuclear energy remains a key pillar of the Obama administration's energy policy with the President proposing $36 billion in loan guarantees for nuclear power to upgrade existing facilities and build additional plants.

About TNS

TNS is the global leader in custom market research delivering actionable insights and research-based business advice to clients around the globe so they can make more effective business decisions. TNS offers comprehensive industry knowledge within the Consumer, Technology, Finance, Automotive and Political & Social sectors, supported by a unique product offering that stretches across the entire range of marketing and business issues, specializing in product development & innovation, brand & communication, stakeholder management, retail & shopper, and qualitative research. Delivering best-in-class service across more than 80 countries, TNS is dedicated to discovering growth opportunities for its clients in an ever-changing world.  Through its pioneering and innovative culture, TNS understands the latest marketing challenges and research techniques, being the first to discover and solve new marketing issues for clients.

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SOURCE TNS