Kazakhstan has employed the time-honored practice of obtaining societal feedback by holding a referendum on October 6th, 2024, to determine whether it should begin constructing a nuclear power plant. With 64% of registered voters in the country submitting ballots, the referendum passed. 71.12% of voters voted in favor of building the plant, according to the Central Referendum Commission. At a time when several countries are giving nuclear a second look as part of the move toward lowering carbon emissions for energy production, this expression of popular opinion impacts the national energy supply and hydrocarbon export capacity at an important juncture in Kazakhstan’s modernization. It is also an example of the region’s popular engagement in major public policy questions.
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