Americans Want Clean Energy: Poll after Poll Proves It

Posted: 30-Sep-2009; Updated: 10-Feb-2010

Opponents of clean energy legislation may be loud, and they may be angry – but they are not a majority. Poll after poll shows the majority of Americans favor a clean energy bill. Take a look:

Many reasons for wide-ranging support of climate action

EDF President Fred Krupp and NRG Energy CEO David Crane joined prominent Republican pollster Frank Luntz for the unveiling of his poll on January 21, 2010. Their presence underscored the wide-ranging support for climate legislation indicated in Luntz's poll. Its findings include:

A majority of Americans believe climate change is occurring and is caused at least in part by humans. Only a small minority — 18 percent — do not believe climate change is real. (Those numbers stay about the same if you call it "global warming.")
57 percent agreed with the statement: It doesn't matter if there is or isn't climate change. It is still in America's best interest to develop new sources of energy that are clean, reliable, efficient and safe.
National security is the main reason that people support cap and trade. Across the demographic board, people liked the idea that clean energy will: liberate us from this oil addiction.

See more about the results and commentary on the poll.

Most Americans support plans to reform energy policy, cap global warming pollution

The Washington Post and ABC News conducted a poll that showed broad support for the administration's energy reform efforts. Even after a summer-long barrage from opponents of climate action, the poll found that:

57 percent support the proposed changes to U.S. energy policy being developed by Congress and the administration, and even better –
When asked if they would support a cap and trade program that lowered greenhouse gases but raised electric bills by $10 month, Americans supported the move by 58 percent to 40 percent. ($10 is the total cost to households estimated by the Congressional Budget Office)
36 percent think changes to U.S. energy policy would add more jobs in their state. Only 15 percent think it would cause job losses.
An amazing 9 out of 10 people support further development of solar and wind power, while 8 out of 10 support development of electric cars.

The poll was released on Aug. 28, 2009, and this Washington Post story has more details.

A majority of Americans favor the climate bill and want the Senate to act

A Zogby poll found that a majority of Americans favors the Clean Energy Bill and wants the Senate to take action. Favorable views of the bill were high among all age and income groups; and ditto for the belief that environmental efforts will create new American jobs.

71 percent favor the climate bill that was passed by the House of Representatives.
67 percent think Congress is either “doing the right amount” or “should be doing more” to address global warming.
51 percent think that “efforts to reduce global warming and promote clean energy” will lead to new job creation, and
another 17 percent think the efforts will not affect American jobs at all. Less than one-third are worried the bill will cause job losses.
Even Republicans aren’t as opposed to the bill as their party leaders might want them to be -- 45 percent have a favorable view of ACES. (A whopping 89 percent of Democrats and 73 percent of Independents like the measure)

Zogby released the results on Aug. 11, 2009

Swing states show strong support for clean energy

Benenson Strategy Group conducted a poll in Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Nevada, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia and West Virginia -- all considered swing states in the climate and clean energy debate.

63 percent of respondents said they supported the American Clean Energy and Security Act.
60 percent of respondents said they would be more likely to vote for their senator if he or she supports a comprehensive federal clean energy and climate bill.
Only 26 percent said they'd be less inclined to re-elect their senator for supporting ACES.

Find more about poll details from Politico. The results were released on Sept. 2, and the poll was commissioned by the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

House members gained strength supporting the climate bill

Hart Research conducted polls in districts of three congressmen who conventional political wisdom said would likely be hurt by their vote in favor of the bill. The poll found exactly the opposite.

In Indiana's 9th district:

45% of voters said they support cap-and-trade, versus 30% opposed.
When told that Rep. Baron Hill voted for the energy reform legislation, 38% said they felt more favorably toward him while only 23% felt less favorably

In North Carolina’s 11th district:

55 percent of voters said they support cap-and-trade, versus 29% opposed.
When told that Rep. Heath Shuler voted for the energy reform legislation, 34 percent said they felt more favorable toward him while only 23 percent felt less favorable.

In Virginia’s 5th District:

42 percent of voters said they support cap-and-trade, versus 25 percent opposed.
When told that Rep. Perriello voted for the energy reform legislation, 33% said they felt more favorable toward him while only 20 percent felt less favorable

Environmental Defense Fund commissioned the polls, which were released Sept. 29, 2009. (More detailed results.)

Targeted polling finds broad concern about climate, and support for action

The Benenson Strategy Group found that young voters showed intense and widespread support for the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES). The findings were released on Sept. 15, 2009; see more detailed results.

75% said they supported the bill.
Young people supported the bill across party lines: 87% of young Democrats supported it, but a solid majority of young Republicans -- 58% -- did as well

A majority of African Americans believe climate change is a growing problem, according to a Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies poll of 750 people released on Sept. 30, 2009.

58% called global warming a "major problem," and 59% percent think environmental conditions will be worse for future generations
57% percent support a cap-and-trade proposal like the one in the House bill

A majority of Michiganders back clean energy legislation, according to a poll by Byrum & Fisk Advocacy Communications released on Sept. 20, 2009.

58 percent of those polled said the energy plan will help recharge the economy, create jobs and bring business to Michigan.