Title: Public opinion about nuclear energy in Mexico: a study

Authors: Gustavo Alonso; J. Ramón Ramírez; Javier C. Palacios; J. Vicente Xolocostli; Armando Gómez; Arturo Delfín-Loya

Addresses: Nuclear System Department, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Carretera México-Toluca s/n, Ocoyoacac, Estado de México 52750, México ' Nuclear System Department, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Carretera México-Toluca s/n, Ocoyoacac, Estado de México 52750, México ' Applied Sciences Section, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Carretera México-Toluca s/n, Ocoyoacac, Estado de México 52750, México ' Nuclear System Department, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Carretera México-Toluca s/n, Ocoyoacac, Estado de México 52750, México ' Nuclear System Department, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Carretera México-Toluca s/n, Ocoyoacac, Estado de México 52750, México ' Nuclear System Department, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Carretera México-Toluca s/n, Ocoyoacac, Estado de México 52750, México

Abstract: Currently, Mexico has adopted an energy policy to diversify the electricity sources, and nuclear energy is among the alternatives to achieve this goal. Public opinion plays a very important role in the policy to adopt the deployment of new nuclear reactors; therefore, it is necessary to define communication strategies to promote nuclear energy. The current study was performed to find what is the perception and positioning about nuclear energy as a starting point to define the way to improve public acceptance. The national study is divided in two parts. The first one is a qualitative study to know the level of knowledge and perception of nuclear energy and it is used to define the questions asked in the second part of this study that is a national survey. From the results of this study, some communication strategies to improve public perception are defined.

Keywords: public opinion; nuclear energy; nuclear power; electricity generation; public acceptance; communication strategies; Mexico; energy policy; public perception.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNGEE.2013.053810

International Journal of Nuclear Governance, Economy and Ecology, 2013 Vol.4 No.1, pp.11 - 18

Received: 10 Nov 2012
Accepted: 05 Feb 2013

Published online: 02 Oct 2013 *

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