Survey Indicates Support For New-Build In Canadian Province
Written by NucNet
Tuesday, 06 November 2007
6 Nov (NucNet): Just over half of residents in the Canadian province of
Alberta, where proposals to build up to two twin-unit plants are under
consideration, support the construction of a nuclear plant, according
to a new survey.
Twenty percent of survey respondents said they were "very favourable" towards the construction of a new plant in the province and 32 percent said they were "somewhat favourable".
However, a quarter of respondents said they remained strongly opposed to new-build and expressed concern about future waste management strategies.
The survey*, carried out by the Canadian marketing and social survey research consultancy Environics Research Group, was published on 2 November 2007.
The survey indicates that support for a new nuclear plant in Alberta is highest among residents of Calgary and Edmonton (both 54 percent very or somewhat favourable) and lowest in the rural north of the province (43 percent).
Albertans with annual household incomes of more than 100,000 Canadian dollars (107,000 US dollars, 74,000 euro) are more favourable towards nuclear than other Albertans, and newcomers to the province appear more favourable than longer-term residents.
In August 2007, the Energy Alberta Corporation (Energy Alberta) said it had filed an application with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission for a licence to prepare for the construction of up to two twin-unit nuclear plants in Alberta. Privately-owned Energy Alberta has teamed up with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) for the project.
* The results are based on an Environics 'Focus Alberta' survey of 1,011 Albertans aged 18 and over conducted between 18 September and 2 October 2007.The survey is available in full on Environics' website (http://erg.environics.net).
Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Canada Report Calls For Big Increase In Nuclear Power Generation (News No. 191, 13 December 2005)
Team Candu Launches Feasibility Study For Point Lepreau ACR-1000 (World Nuclear Review No. 31, 3 August 2007)
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