Already back in the Soviet times, anti-nuclear propaganda served another purpose as well. Many reactor designs were suitable for production of weapons-grade uranium and plutonium.

If you can persuade the population to fear nuclear power, you also guarantee reduction of its (and its allies') ability to build and maintain WMDs deep into the future, across multiple elections and governments that might not go your preferred way.

Meanwhile, of course, the Soviets built nuclear power plants like crazy and used them for military enrichment. Until the day when explosion of their own RMBK reactor added a lot of unintended gravitas to their long-cultivated message in the West.