Maintaining Reactors
Image by Ben Requena
Energy
01.11.2012
In:
Energy / Infrastructure,
Public Relations,
Public Affairs
No time in recent history have energy companies had so many opportunities to tell the world about safely operated nuclear power plants.
These communicators have done an outstanding job. Rather than seeing support of nuclear power plummet, support only slightly decreased in most national polls. However, polling continues to show significant gender, education and political gaps in support for nuclear power. These gaps, while perhaps more pronounced post-Japan, have persisted for some time. In a Gallup poll earlier this year, 56 percent of women said they oppose nuclear power compared to 36 percent of men. People who have completed higher levels of education are more likely to support nuclear power (63 percent of postgraduates) than those who have achieved a high school education or less (31 percent). Perhaps not surprisingly, 62 percent of Republicans support nuclear power compared to 32 percent of Democrats.
The challenge ahead is to maintain and grow that support as our country continues to determine how it wants to manage energy generation in the future. Here are a few ideas:
Make nuclear plants more accessible — physically and socially.
Post-9/11, most nuclear plant tours came to a halt. In recent years, many plants have started tours again, but not at the same level. Instead of tours, many plants relied on their visitor centers to teach students, community groups and other members of the public about nuclear. However, budget cuts have caused many visitor centers to close, while others are woefully outdated and don’t tell the story of nuclear energy’s environmental benefits, technology advancement and safety improvements. Upgrading or reopening these centers would be one helpful way to make nuclear plants more accessible.
Nuclear plants also can increase their presence in social media. The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) increased its presence on Twitter post-Japan, but individual nuclear plants also could begin using Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to tell their stories — about employees, community involvement, safety records and more.
Redouble community outreach efforts.
Throughout the country, nuclear plant leaders and employees engage in a variety of community outreach efforts: serving on boards, hosting local events and working with teachers and students. It’s because of these efforts — which have been going on for decades in some cases — that support for nuclear continues to hold steady. Continuing and expanding these efforts, including having more plant employees out in the community telling the story of nuclear, can help grow support for new nuclear power.
Hundreds of companies in the United States are tied closely to nuclear development and construction, but oftentimes they do not explain how new nuclear development would impact the economy.
Don’t only rely on utilities to tell the story.
Hundreds of companies in the United States are tied closely to nuclear development and construction, but oftentimes they do not explain how new nuclear development would impact the economy — not just in the areas around the plant, but in the areas where companies involved in their development and construction are located. These include nuclear reactor developers, construction companies, engineering and design firms, even cleaning companies.
Ultimately, this is about keeping nuclear energy as an option for addressing our country’s future energy needs. And more than ever, communications about nuclear power will make the difference in this public policy discussion.
