energy shortages and prices spreads across the nation, a grow- ing nuraber of people are throwing their support behind a clean, abundant power source that’s been used throughout the world for decades: nuclear energy. An estimated two-thirds of U.S. adults support building more nuclear power plants, and 70 percent say that nuclear energy should play a “very important” or “somewhat important” role in meeting America’s future electricity needs. Today, there are more than 100 nuclear energy plants operating in he United States, and these facilities generate one-fifth of all the electricity the nation consumes without emitting any greenhouse gases or other air pollutants. This pollution avoidance helps states comply with federal Clean Air Act reguiations and also limits the potentially negative effects of global climate change. In a survey conducted for the Nuclear Energy Institute, 86 per- cent of respondents said that the government policies affecting the continuing operation of nuclear energy plants should give importance to the fact that nuclear energy supplies one-fifth of U.S. electric power without emitting aie pollution. The survey also found that even though a large nuaraiber of More and more Americans believe that nuclear power is the energy source of the future. Americans view nuclear energy as a future energy source, they are unaware that it is one of the nation’s major sources of electric- ity teday. Finally, 78 percent of survey respondents agreed with the statement, “Considering the elec- trieity shortages in California and other states, electric utilities should prepare now so that new nuciear power plants could he built if needed in the next five years.” Nearly half (46 percent) agreed strongly. Free Leaflets For more information on nuclear energy and what it may mean to you, write to Westinghouse Electric Company, P.O. Box 355, Pittsburgh, PA 15280-0355 or e-mail gilberbhv@westinghouse.com.
