Residents of Bruce, Grey and Huron continue to show strong support for Bruce Power, according to an Ipsos poll.
680 respondents were called through random digit dialling of both landlines and cell phones between February 9th and 25th in the three counties.
Ipsos says Bruce Power commissioned research to understand attitudes on support for nuclear energy and refurbishment of the Bruce nuclear facility, familiarity and impressions of Bruce Power, understanding about its operations in the local community and interest in specific topics. These Ipsos polls have been conducted since at least 2014.
Ipsos says, nearly all of its respondents (94 per cent) continue to have confidence that the nuclear facility operates safely.
92 per cent feel Bruce Power is involved with the community in a positive way, and 92 per cent agree Bruce Power is a good community citizen.
Ipsos says, “The environment and its relationship to Bruce Power is top of mind for respondents. The impact of Bruce Power on the environment is the topic residents most want to learn about and is the primary factor for those who support nuclear refurbishment. Importantly, the environment has replaced job creation as a major driver of support.”
It notes one of its key takeaways from the poll is respondents’ attitudes towards the company are consistent with those of 2020. Ipsos says, ” While there have been many socio-political shifts over the years, these have not pulled attention away from or shifted opinions regarding Bruce Power.”
The polling company says, “Knowledge of nuclear energy has inched down over time, and now sits 9-points below 2018 levels. However, this has not translated into a decline in support, familiarity, or impressions of Bruce Power suggesting that while residents may know less about nuclear in general, they continue to feel positive and up-to-date on Bruce Power.”
Interestingly, Ipsos also found respondents preferred traditional forms of communication like flyers in the mail and newsletters over social media as a primary source of information about Bruce Power.
When polled on general issues, the pandemic remained top of mind, but did not rank as high as it did in a winter 2020 poll. Affordability was more of a concern than it was in 2020.
Ipsos says roughly 59 per cent of residents continue to be aware of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization proposal for selecting a site for Canada’s used nuclear fuel, and about three-quarters of residents (73 per cent) in Grey, Bruce and Huron are in favour of the consultation process by the NWMO.
Bruce Power’s Director of Community & Media Relations, & Economic Development John Peevers says in a statement, “We’re humbled by the strong vote of confidence we’ve received from the communities in Bruce, Grey and Huron and residents can rest assured that we will never take this for granted and will continue to make every effort to communicate with and support our communities.”