SEVEN OUT OF TEN PENNSYLVANIANS SAY THEY’D BE MORE LIKELY TO VOTE FOR A STATE LEGISLATOR WHO FIGHTS TO KEEP NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS OPEN

New Poll Results Released by Dauphin County Commissioner Mike Pries
During Testimony Before PA House Consumer Affairs Committee

HARRISBURG (April 8, 2019) – Seven out of ten likely voters in Pennsylvania report they would be more likely to vote for a state legislator who fights in Harrisburg to keep the state’s nuclear power plants open. That is among the findings of a new statewide poll released this morning by Dauphin County Commissioner and Clean Jobs for Pennsylvania (CJFP) Co-Chair Mike Pries during testimony before the state House Consumer Affairs Committee. The hearing is focused on House Bill 11, known as the Keep Powering Pennsylvania Act, which seeks to properly value the clean energy attributes of nuclear power.

“The clock is ticking. My constituents – your constituents – are counting on you to get this done,” Pries told the committee. “Pennsylvanians have made it quite clear where they stand. Let’s not look back five years from now and ask ourselves, why did we allow these jobs, these economic engines, to vanish? I urge you to take prompt action to pass House Bill 11 to ensure our state continues to enjoy the economic, environmental and reliability benefits of our zero-emission nuclear power plants.”

Among other key survey findings:

• 75% of likely PA voters favor a proposal to add nuclear energy to Pennsylvania’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS), giving nuclear energy many of the same incentives as wind, solar, and hydroelectric, which would help keep electricity prices in check
• 63% have a favorable opinion of nuclear power
• 68% believe maintaining PA’s nuclear plants provides fuel diversity and allows for healthy competition and leads to lower energy costs in the long term
• 71% responded favorably to the statement that Pennsylvania’s nuclear power plants are the largest source – 93% – of our state’s emissions-free energy and play a pivotal role in keeping our air clean

“Pennsylvania voters of all stripes and in every region of the state hold strongly positive views of nuclear energy and value its importance to the Commonwealth,” said Brock McCleary, President, Harper Polling. “And they clearly want lawmakers to find solutions, with a strong majority supporting the addition of nuclear to the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards.”

Survey Methodology:

The sample size for the survey is 500 likely voters in Pennsylvania and the margin of error is +/-4.38%. They survey was conducted April 1-2, 2019 by Harper Polling in Harrisburg.