A March Gallup poll shows a majority of Americans still oppose a nuclear energy plant in their area, but that's not the case here." Hanna Merzbach / Vickie O'Haro stands behind the bar at Atomic City Bar & Store, which she owns, along with Atomic Motor Raceway, on June 8. After stalling out for decades, nuclear power is having a moment. "I don't think cutting corners when you're talking about nuclear safety is a good idea," Lyman said. A majority of Americans oppose new nuclear plants near them, but polling also shows growing support for the U.S. "emphasizing" nuclear power more broadly.