ENERGY: Report finds strong bipartisan support for 100% clean, renewable energy -- Majority see economic benefits

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

REPORT: Energy in the American Mind -- December 2018

By Anthony Leiserowitz, Edward Maibach, Seth Rosenthal, John Kotcher, Abel Gustafson, Parrish Bergquist, Matthew Ballew and Matthew Goldberg

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Executive Summary

Drawing on a nationally representative survey (N = 1,114; including 966 registered voters), this report describes Americans’ energy-related beliefs, attitudes, consumer behaviors, and support for different energy policies. Among other important results, we found strong bipartisan support for requiring electric utilities to use 100% clean, renewable energy, that a majority of Americans say transitioning to clean, renewable energy will benefit the economy, and that support for renewable energy research has increased by 30 percentage points among conservative Republicans over the past five years.

Beliefs and Attitudes about Clean, Renewable Energy

• Most Americans consider both “clean energy” and “renewable energy” to be good things. Liberal Democrats were more likely to rate the term “clean energy” (99%) positively than “renewable energy” (83%), while conservative Republicans were more likely to rate the term “renewable energy” (63%) positively than “clean energy” (46%).
• About six in ten Americans consider coal energy (62%) to be “moderately” or more harmful to people’s health. Democrats (76%) are more likely than Republicans (57%) to say that coal is harmful. About half of Americans (53%) say nuclear energy is harmful. In contrast, almost no Americans think solar (5%) or wind energies (5%) are harmful to people’s health.
• A majority of Americans (58%) – including three in four Democrats (75%) – think policies intended to transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy will improve economic growth and create new jobs. Only 18% of Americans – and 7% of Democrats – think such policies will reduce growth and jobs. More Republicans think such a transition will improve economic growth (39%) than reduce it (31%).
• Americans’ most important reasons to support a transition to 100% clean, renewable energy are reducing water pollution (75%), reducing air pollution (74%), and providing a better life for our children and grandchildren (72%).
• About seven in ten Americans (71%; including 87% of Democrats and 51% of Republicans) think clean energy should be a “high” or “very high” priority for the president and Congress. Very few Americans (7%, including 3% of Democrats and 11% of Republicans) think it should be a “low” priority.
• A majority of Americans (61%) – including about eight in ten Democrats (79%) – think that if all nations switch to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2050, it will be “moderately” or “very” effective at limiting global warming.

Support for Energy Policies

• A large majority of registered voters (85%) – including 95% of Democrats and 71% of Republicans – support requiring utilities in their state to produce 100% of their electricity from clean, renewable sources by 2050. Nearly two in three conservative Republicans (64%) support this policy.
• About half (54%) of registered voters (72% of Democrats, 33% of Republicans) say they are more likely to vote for a political candidate who supports requiring their state’s utilities to produce electricity from 100% clean, renewable energy sources. Only 13% of registered voters say they are less likely to vote for such a candidate.
• Between 2013 and 2018, support for funding renewable energy research increased by 15 percentage points among registered voters (from 73% to 88%). This growing support was primarily driven by a large shift among conservative Republicans, whose support increased by 30 points, from 50% to 80%.
• Between 2013 and 2018, support for tax rebates for energy-efficient vehicles and solar panels increased by 12 percentage points among registered voters (from 73% to 85%).

Energy Consumers: Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors

• A large majority of Americans (82%) either “don’t know” (48%) that they have the option to purchase 100% clean, renewable electricity from their local utility company or other provider, or believe they don’t have the option (34%). Half of Americans (50%; 56% of Democrats, 42% of Republicans) say they likely would purchase it if given the option. Very few Americans (5%) say they are currently purchasing 100% clean, renewable electricity.
• About half of Americans (49%; 63% of Democrats, 37% of Republicans) say they would be willing to pay more for 100% clean, renewable electricity, while the others (47%; 36% of Democrats, 60% of Republicans) say they would not pay more. On average, Americans say they would be willing to pay $15 more per month ($17 for Democrats, $11 for Independents, $9 for Republicans) for 100% clean, renewable electricity.
• Many Americans think electricity from renewable energy sources, including solar (38%) and wind (38%), is cheaper than electricity from coal; fewer think electricity from renewable energy sources costs more than coal (solar: 25%; wind: 19%). Only conservative Republicans are more likely to think solar and wind cost more than coal, not less.
• Almost half of Americans think electricity from solar (48%) and wind (45%) will get cheaper over the next decade. Conversely, few Americans (9%) think the cost of electricity from coal will decrease over the next decade (6% of Independents, 9% of Democrats, 11% of Republicans); 38% think it will cost more.
• About half of Americans (54%; 72% of Democrats, 53%, of Independents, 37% of Republicans) say they are more likely to buy goods and services from companies that have committed to using 100% clean, renewable energy. In contrast, only 5% of Americans say they are less likely to buy from such companies.

Link to the report here.