A new public opinion poll has found that the Swedish population continues to be strongly supportive of the use of nuclear energy. The poll was conducted in April 2003 by the Swedish polling organisation TEMO, and it surveyed the attitudes of 1021 Swedes towards the continued use of nuclear power and its further development as an energy source.
A total of 50% thought that it was acceptable to continue with using nuclear power "as long as reactor units continued to meet safety standards", while 19% said that the existing nuclear units should be replaced when they reach the end of their operating lifetimes. Of the remainder, 12% thought that there should be an increase in the use of nuclear energy, with nuclear new build projects undertaken if necessary, compared to 17% who said that some nuclear units should close as soon as possible. In response to the question of which energy sources should replace nuclear power, wind was the most popular choice (49%), followed by hydro (25%) and solar (22%).
