AARP’s Iowa State commissioned a survey to explore the views of likely voters ages 50 and older views about House File 561, a bill that would allow utility companies to raise customer rates for a nuclear power plant in the state before it is built.    

Key findings include:

• Most (72%) likely voters ages 50+ in Iowa oppose, with over half (52%) saying they strongly oppose, the current legislation to allow energy companies to raise rates and collect from customers in advance of building a new nuclear power plant in the state.
• Nearly six in ten (57%) likely voters ages 50+ in Iowa say they would be less likely to vote for a candidate for state office that supported this legislation.
• Three-quarters or more of likely voters in Iowa indicate that House File 561 could be improved if it:
  
  • allowed customers refunds if the project were cancelled or not finished (a lot better: 40%; a little better: 39%);
  • required cost-comparisons of electric options for increasing energy service before building a nuclear power plant (a lot better: 25%; a little better: 50%);
  • set a limit on how much the utility could charge customers (a lot better: 21%; a little better: 53%)
    

These results are based on a phone survey fielded by office Selzer & Company, Inc.  from May 23 - 25, 2011.  The sample of registered voters was adjusted by age and sex to reflect a cross-section of active registered voters ages 50 and over in the Iowa Secretary of State's Voter Registration database.  A subsample of 400 voters likely to vote in the 2012 general election was identified from this larger sample.  This summary is based on the responses of likely voters only. For more information about this survey, please contact  Anthony Carroll, Associate State Director for Advocacy, 515.697.1015, acarroll@aarp.org.