Sentiment towards the use of nuclear energy in the United Kingdom (UK) 2012-2022
According to a 2023 survey, support for the use of nuclear energy for electricity generation in the UK outweighed opposition. Overall, 41 percent of respondents supported its use, compared to 12 percent who opposed it. According to the same survey, approximately one-third of UK residents believe that nuclear power provides a safe source of energy.
Nuclear power in the UK
In recent years, the UK government championed nuclear power as a reliable and low-carbon source of electricity, to be used for many years to come. However, this country’s nuclear power plants are nearing the end of their life cycle and the electricity generation from nuclear sources in the UK has dropped to a minimum since at least to decades.
A new push to nuclear power
Since 2020, the UK’s government has announced new investments for the expansion of nuclear power, which were urgently brought forward after the Russian invasion of Ukraine to boost the energy independence of the country. As of May 2022, the UK is home to the two largest nuclear reactor construction projects in the world.