Nuclear Power and other energy sources

Polling Company: ShapeNZ (part of New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development)

Poll Method: Internet Sample

Poll Size: 3,546

Date: February and March 2008

Client: NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development

Report: NZBCSD Media Release

References: Dominion Post

• 77% say wind power was the best (they must mean desirable not best based on results not adding up to 100%) electricity option for New Zealand in the next 10 years.
• 69% say solar
• 47% say geothermal
• 40% say wave power
• 35% say small and large scale hydro
• 19% say nuclear power
• 10% say gas
• 8% say coal

• A proposed ban on building new thermal baseload coal and gas power plants in the next 10 years has 58% support and 26% opposition
• 70% say NZ not doing enough to encourage renewable energy projects
• 43% oppose trading in nuclear sourced emission credits, 33% support and 24% do not know
• 5% say wind farms do not look okay, 48% say they like how they look and 44% say it depends on where they are located
• Government’s performance on climate change ranked as below average by 36%, average by 21% and above average by 17%.
• Asked which major party is best favoured to manage climate change, both Labour and National had 32% support, with 36% unsure