Does a visit to EBR-I improve perceptions of nuclear power?

Conference · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 2022

OSTI ID:1879103

Ellsworth, Sam E ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Laboratory

The advancement of nuclear research depends not only on the improvements made by scientists and engineers, but also on public approval in the United States. Presently, the public is not just curious about new applications of nuclear power but also concerned about the potential impact on their own safety and environment. It is projected that nuclear power production in the U.S. will decline due to industry stagnation. The skepticism of nuclear energy has remained high for decades. These attitudes need to be understood by policymakers, industry, and advocates given the electricity needs, competition, and climate change. The Experimental Breeder Reactor-I is the world’s first nuclear reactor to produce usable electricity. It has been a museum since 1975 and sees an average of 10,000 visitors every summer. I set out to gauge the opinion of visitors as they tour the facility. In this research project, I conduct a public opinion poll (n=162) over the course of a week to see if a visit to EBR-I improves the perception of nuclear power. The results suggest that a visit to EBR-I increased perceptions of nuclear power in a positive direction.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1879103
• Report Number(s): INL/EXP-22-68418-Rev000
• Conference Information: Intern Poster Session, EIL, 08/11/2022 - 08/11/2022
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
Breeder
Experimental
Nuclear
Perceptions
Power
Reactor