Carbon Free Virginia

Statewide polling conducted by LINK in late 2023 shows most Virginians support nuclear energy regardless of political party, education level, age, or geographical region. However, the Virginia General Assembly has failed to take meaningful action to prioritize the production of nuclear energy.

To be successful, pro-nuclear stakeholders need to find the strongest messages to move as many voters as possible to a pro-nuclear position and motivate them to pressure the General Assembly into taking action.

The LINK team first conducted thorough message testing and research in our targeted house district to discern existing attitudes towards nuclear energy. In this specific district, the data showed voters most likely to move to a pro-nuclear position skew younger and more liberal. The most effective messages with this group were:

1. 1. Nuclear is more affordable and more efficient than coal.
   2. The U.S. has been safely generating energy with nuclear for over 60 years now.
   3. France has proven that nuclear energy can be a country’s main source and has lowered costs and carbon emissions.
   4. New technology means nuclear power can be generated efficiently and discretely.

With clear messages crafted, LINK developed a brand, Carbon Free Virginia, and an accompanying educational website, to serve as the face of the initiative. We targeted the “likely movers” with digital ads, texts, and direct mail.

Throughout the month-long campaign, we reached each of our target voters 17 times. Target voters were able to recall seeing mail, texts, and digital ads. Post-campaign polling shows that among those who recalled seeing ads around nuclear energy, 54% say the ads made them more likely to support nuclear energy.

The priority for nuclear power production and expansion doubled, from 21% to 42% – a sign that once informed of the benefits offered by nuclear, support grows steadily.  ​

Overall, our target universe moved away from the idea that the General Assembly should be focused on climate change and an even larger majority now want the General Assembly to focus on the cost of electricity and fuel. This change shows that the cost savings messages resonated with our universe.​

Despite a short timeline and small budget, the campaign was successful. LINK significantly moved the needle on nuclear energy sentiments among our contacted audience. Approval for nuclear power plants grew slightly from 64% to 68%, indicating that Virginians have an interest in supporting nuclear power after messaging.