Small nuclear reactors near home draw more opposition than support
Core finding
Verasight surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults from August 12 to 18, 2026. 48.1% of Americans oppose a proposed small modular nuclear reactor within two miles of home, compared with 23.5% who support it and 28.4% who are neutral.
Strong opposition accounts for 31.6%, compared with 7.9% strong support. Respondents read a definition of small modular reactors before assessing a proposed reactor within two miles of home.
Topline scale
Small nuclear reactors near home draw more opposition than support.
If a Small Modular Reactor (SMR)* were proposed to be constructed within a 2 mile radius of your home, how would you describe your level of support for the project? *Small modular reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.
n = 1,000 · Aug 12–18, 2026 · MoE ±3.2%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Aug 12–18, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.2% |
| Module | AOM Survey #2026-152 |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/aom-2026
*Small modular reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.
Cite this question
AOM Omnibus, fielded August 12-18, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%.