One year after the tsunami and resulting failure of the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, a majority of Americans continue to favor the use of nuclear energy as one of the ways to provide electricity for the U.S., according to survey results released Monday.

The 57 percent who favor nuclear power this year is identical to the percentage measured in early March 2011, just before the Fukushima incident. These data are from Gallup's annual Environment survey, conducted March 8-11.

Gallup in 1994 first asked Americans if they favored or opposed the use of nuclear power for electricity, and the 57 percent in favor at that point is identical to what is found today. The highest level of support for nuclear power was 62 percent in 2010. The lowest was 46 percent in March 2001, the only reading out of 10 in which less than half of Americans said they favored nuclear power.

The majority of Americans also continue to think nuclear power plants are safe. Gallup has asked Americans this question three times over the past four years, and the positive responses each time have been within a narrow 56 percent to 58 percent range.