The Capital Research Center announced on March 13 that Appalachian Voices remains listed as an anti-nuclear group on its InfluenceWatch platform, following a recent inquiry challenging this classification. The organization responded after receiving an email questioning the inclusion of Appalachian Voices in the Opposition to Nuclear Energy movement profile and disputing citations used to support this stance.
The issue is significant because it highlights ongoing debates about how organizations are categorized regarding their positions on nuclear power. InfluenceWatch said it uses evidence from public statements and actions to determine whether a group supports or opposes nuclear energy projects.
According to the Capital Research Center, the main citation supporting Appalachian Voices’ classification was a November 2023 report by Matt Wasson, director of programs for Appalachian Voices. In this report, Wasson opposed seven proposed sites for nuclear power plants near abandoned coal mines in Virginia and repeated concerns about spent nuclear fuel and plant safety. The response from InfluenceWatch stated that while Wasson’s report claimed Appalachian Voices does not oppose research into small modular reactors generally, there is no clear evidence of support for any specific new nuclear facility on the group’s website.
The Capital Research Center also addressed broader questions about what constitutes opposition to nuclear power. It said that theoretical support for more nuclear power is not enough if a group consistently opposes actual projects in practice. The organization noted that similar scrutiny applies to other groups such as the Union of Concerned Scientists, which has not been included in the anti-nuclear list despite evidence suggesting practical opposition.
InfluenceWatch updated its profile page for Appalachian Voices with additional citations and clarified its standards for listing groups as anti-nuclear. The statement concluded by saying that if any listed group overtly supports a specific civilian nuclear project in the future, their profile will be updated accordingly.
