Majority of South Australians support nuclear energy, new polling reveals

Nuclear for Australia

Wednesday 4 November 2026

*Spokespeople available for interview*

Almost two-thirds of South Australians support the state expanding its nuclear industry to explore nuclear energy, according to new polling by YouGov, which found:

• 63% of South Australians support the state expanding its nuclear industry to support exploring nuclear energy for electricity. Support was highest among Coalition state election voters, with 82% indicating support, followed by One Nation voters at 78%, Labor at 58% and Greens at 43%.
• 62% of South Australians agree that Australia should capitalise on the skills and capabilities developed through AUKUS to develop a civilian nuclear energy industry, including 59% of Labor voters
• 57% of South Australians support removing restrictions to allow nuclear power to be considered, with only 28% opposed and 15% unsure.
• 59% of South Australians were not confident about Australia’s ability to meet growing demand for electricity, given the surge in AI and data centres and electrification with existing electricity options.

Nuclear for Australia Founder Will Shackel said the South Australian results showed communities are willing and ready to have a conversation about nuclear.

“This polling shows that South Australians are open to and supportive of nuclear energy across the full political spectrum,” Mr Shackel said.

“South Australia already has decades of experience in uranium mining and is scaling up its nuclear workforce to support the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine program.

“South Australia would certainly not be starting from scratch if it pursued nuclear energy, and this polling shows that people understand the potential for growth.

“Nuclear energy is a clean, reliable source of energy which naturally aligns with South Australia’s leadership in decarbonisation.

“When you factor in the remote and hard-to-abate heavy industries in regional South Australia, there is a very compelling case for considering advanced nuclear technologies to achieve net zero goals.

“The state has all the ingredients for a strong use case, but the federal legislative bans on nuclear energy are preventing us from seriously considering it.

“It’s encouraging that South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas acknowledged in July that nuclear power has an important role to play globally, while aligning with Australia’s net zero goals.

“This new research should give Premier Malinauskas confidence to lead nuclear energy discussions knowing that South Australian voters support exploring it.”

Paul Smith of YouGov said the new polling results provided a detailed picture of South Australians' attitudes towards nuclear energy.

“The results show more support than opposition to nuclear energy in South Australia,” said Mr Smith.

The survey, commissioned by Nuclear for Australia, was conducted between October 6 – 29 with a total sample size of 783 South Australian voters.

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