What a pleasure to see such a large gathering for this conference! The large attendance at the ANS Winter Meetings in recent years is a sign of optimism for future expansion of the productive and peaceful uses of the atom.

There are certainly favorable conditions for the future expanded peaceful use of the atom for nuclear energy. One of these favorable conditions is that you have the support of the American public. The American public’s support for nuclear energy is at a record high.

In my remarks today, I would like to give you some highlights of the public support we have found in recent surveys and then suggest five ways to keep up the momentum.

About the Research
Because you are scientifically oriented and cautious about data sources, I’ll take a minute to talk about the research base on public attitudes toward nuclear energy. The research base is robust. It includes 22 years of public opinion surveys that I have directed both nationally for the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and locally for nuclear utilities. It includes literally hundreds of studies of public opinion on nuclear issues since 1983.

I will show some data and trends from our national surveys with samples of 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults. These are telephone surveys. The margin of error for these surveys is plus or minus three percentage points. The most recent national survey of the general public was in May.

Also, this year, in August, we conducted a special public opinion study—the first national public opinion survey ever of America’s nuclear power plant communities. This study was sponsored by NEI with the helpful involvement of NEI member companies.

Nuclear power plant communities were defined as people living within 10 miles of America’s nuclear power plants. We interviewed random samples of 18 adults in each of the 64 plant communities, for a total of 1,152 plant neighbors. The survey excluded electric company employees.

We were able to analyze results for the four regions of the country—Northeast, Midwest, South and West—and for high, medium and low population density areas.

Public Support
The good news for your industry is that support for nuclear energy among the American public is widespread and growing in strength. And support for nuclear energy in the plant communities is even higher.

General public. Let’s look first at the opinions of the general American public:

• 70 percent now favor the use of nuclear energy. This 70 percent milestone was reached this year for the first time in more than two decades.
• Perhaps even more important is the fact that strong supporters now outweigh strong opponents by nearly three to one.
• All regions favor the use of nuclear energy.

Nuclear power plant communities. Now let’s look in more detail at the opinions in nuclear power plant communities:

• 83 percent favor the use of nuclear energy.
• Strong supporters outweigh strong opponents by nearly seven to one.
• Favorable attitudes span the four regions and communities with high, medium and low population densities. Even in the Northeast and in high population density areas, there is a very high level of support.
• Attitudes toward the local nuclear power plant are even more favorable; 87 percent have a favorable impression of the nearest nuclear power plant.
• Only 3 percent have a very unfavorable impression of the plant; they are overwhelmed by the 60 percent who are very favorable—a 20-to-1 margin.
• Again, these favorable attitudes span the four regions and areas with different population densities.

What stands out to me is that most nuclear power plant neighbors know that their community supports the local plant. That is not the case for the general public. The typical member of the general public is not aware of this support. The typical American says, “I favor nuclear energy, but others don’t.” In nuclear power plant communities, 75 percent believe that most of their neighbors have a favorable impression of the plant.

Support for new plant activities. Nuclear power plant license renewals have gone quite smoothly, just as the numbers predicted years ago. The next hurdle actually is building more plants. The next new reactors most likely will be added to existing plant sites. What do plant neighbors think of that?

• 75 percent of plant neighbors across nuclear power plant sites would approve of early site permit review in their communities.
• That number reaches about 80 percent in the South and West and in low population density communities.
• Where companies already expressed interest in new plant activities (early site permitting and/or seeking a combined construction and operating license), 82 percent approve of seeking an early site permit for their plant sites.
• Moreover, 76 percent of nuclear power plant neighbors would find it acceptable to add a new reactor at the nearest nuclear power plant site, if a new power plant were needed.
• About 80 percent would find a new reactor acceptable in the South and West and in low population density communities.
• In communities where companies have expressed interest in new plant activities, 85 percent would find a new reactor acceptable, if a new power plant were needed.

Reasons for Support
It’s quite obvious that most plant neighbors are saying “yes, in my backyard.”

Whatever happened to NIMBY? And what are the reasons for the record-high support among the general public?

There are several explanations:

The first reason is safe performance. Kudos to those of you in this room who have something to do with the excellent and safe performance of America’s nuclear power plants. Safe performance is the foundation for public support. Without safe performance, everything else is irrelevant.

The second reason why support has grown is that the need for nuclear energy is becoming increasingly apparent to the American public. Safe performance is necessary but not sufficient. The public supports nuclear energy most when the public perceives that it is needed.

This country has experienced some wake-up calls in recent years:

• Electricity problems in California and elsewhere in 2001
• A blackout of a major part of the United States in August 2003
• Soaring gas prices both at the pump and in the home
• Focused reporting on the impact of hurricanes on our energy supplies
• Continuing conflict in the Middle East.

These wake-up calls reminded Americans how much our quality of life depends on energy. When energy is on the agenda, support for nuclear grows. A context of need for energy is especially important for the public to support building more plants. It seems reasonable, doesn’t it? If it’s not needed, why build it?

At the same time, public recognition of the benefits that nuclear energy provides is growing—and that is the third reason for the growing support. For several years, NEI has been engaged in a proactive nuclear energy branding campaign. The campaign communicates the benefits that make nuclear energy an important part of the energy mix—especially clean air, reliability and affordability. Our research finds that clean air, reliability and affordability are top public priorities for electricity production.

Here is an example of NEI advertising that communicates these benefits. We tested the advertising and found that it is very effective:

• 79 percent said they felt more favorable to nuclear energy after seeing this advertising. That’s the highest we’ve seen in many years of ad testing.
• The advertising increases awareness of nuclear energy’s benefits, especially clean air.
• Because the advertising is comforting, it communicates safety. People said it gave them hope for the future.

A fourth reason for growing public support is the positive attitude of the industry itself in recent years. Do you remember the days when utility executives were quoted as saying that any CEO who announced he was going to build a nuclear power plant would be certified and committed? There has been a sea change since that time.

Think about NEI’s Vision 2020, industry support for DOE’s Nuclear Power 2010, the formation of consortia for new plant activities and actual participation of companies in pursuit of early site permitting and/or a combined construction and operating license.

Industry talk and action relating to new nuclear power plants have attracted the attention of public officials and the news media. It’s clear that the news media find the idea of a nuclear renaissance intriguing. Just look at the spate of positive news stories in recent years. Stories about the nuclear renaissance have appeared in major newspapers.

They also have appeared in a wide variety of magazines. Here, for example, are major stories in Business Week, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report.

Even Elle magazine was intrigued. Nuclear energy even made Elle’s annual list of what’s cool. No. 14 on their list of 25 was “nukes!”

Also, while investigating the reasons for interest in new plants, the news media began to discover that nuclear power plants are a valuable part of the energy mix due to their clean air benefits, reliability and affordability.

Familiarity. As to the local support for nuclear energy—the support in nuclear power plant communities—it is my opinion that this support can be attributed above all to familiarity. Nuclear power plant communities tend to have a stable population. About 70 percent of adults in these communities have lived there for more than 10 years. The plant is an important and visible part of the community. Half of the adults in these communities engage in recreational activities within sight of the plant. And most have friends, neighbors or family who work there.

The nuclear power plant operators have gained the confidence of their communities. From our survey of plant neighbors, here are perceptions of the company that operates the local nuclear power plant:

• 88 percent have confidence in the company’s ability to operate a nuclear power plant safely.
• 84 percent believe that the company does a good job protecting the environment.
• 83 percent believe that the company is involved in the community as a good citizen.

Five Ways to Keep the Momentum
The public’s support for nuclear energy is good news for your industry—for utilities, for manufacturers and suppliers, and for university programs that attract students who see a bright future. But how can you keep up the momentum? I would like to suggest five ways to keep up the momentum.

First: Continue to focus on performance excellence and safety as the top priority. As I said earlier, without excellent and safe performance, all else is irrelevant. A good product is the foundation for public support.

Second: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is a best kept secret—change that! Our research consistently shows that learning about the NRC greatly increases public confidence in the safety of nuclear power plants.

Recently we tested messages in support of a decision to build a new reactor at the closest nuclear power plant. Both among the general public and in nuclear power plant communities, the most persuasive message was this: “The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspects and monitors each nuclear power plant daily. If a nuclear power plant is not operating safely, the regulator will shut it down until it improves its safety practices.”

Our research also consistently shows that the extent of NRC oversight comes as a big surprise to the public. In focus groups, we find that most people have little or no idea what the NRC is or what it does.

Even in nuclear power plant communities, where the NRC has a presence, our recent survey showed that only 14 percent feel very well informed about the NRC and what it does.

The third suggested way to keep up the momentum is for every one of you to take responsibility for branding nuclear energy. I mentioned earlier that increased awareness of nuclear energy’s benefits contributes to growing public support. I also mentioned NEI’s nuclear energy branding campaign. Recently, NEI’s Executive Committee made nuclear energy branding an industrywide initiative. Nuclear energy branding now is the responsibility of every company and every individual industrywide.

So whenever you have a chance, remind your listeners of these benefits of nuclear energy:

• Clean air
• Reliability
• Affordability

You can elaborate on these main benefits. For example, reliability extends to security of supply: As our economy and population grow, we’ll need more electricity from reliable sources like nuclear energy. Reliability also extends to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and energy from unstable parts of the world.

The fourth way to keep up the momentum is: Collaborate and find common ground with others. Discussion of energy sources too often is framed as if the various energy sources were in a horserace. The American public understands that we need all our energy resources. And that’s the point to emphasize.

From the perspective that all our energy sources are valuable and needed, it is easier to find common ground within the industry, with electricity users and with environmentalists. The more allies the better. That means always thinking, “What’s in it for them?”

Not everyone is interested in solutions to problems. Patrick Moore is one who does look for solutions. There surely are others.

The fifth recommendation is this: Project a positive attitude. Remember that people gravitate to winners, not losers. The day of “woe is me,” with its focus on barriers, should be long gone.

A positive industry attitude is contagious. Remember the bandwagon effect. A positive attitude results in positive media, positive policies and more public support.

In Conclusion
You have high and growing public support both nationally and in nuclear power plant communities. I have suggested five ways to keep up the momentum:

1. Continue to focus on performance excellence and safety as the top priority.
2. Increase awareness of the NRC—its mission and how it accomplishes the mission.
3. Take responsibility for nuclear energy branding.
4. Collaborate and find common ground with others.
5. Project a positive attitude.

You certainly have a good story to tell. And you have every reason to be positive about the receptivity of the American public to your story. You can help them see more clearly how nuclear energy can contribute to a better world for future generations.