Americans Support Renewable Energy

Republicans, Independents and Democrats agree that the United States should move away from its reliance on dirty energy sources that cause climate change, and instead move to clean energy sources, according to a major new ORC International survey conducted for the Civil Society Institute (CSI) and released today in Maryland, DC, and Virginia by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

Research results indicated that a majority of Americans support federal and state investments in clean energy projects and energy efficiency, and they agree that the fossil fuel industry is willfully holding back efforts to build a new clean-energy economy. Findings also indicated that a growing number of Americans are concerned about the negative impacts associated with the “fracking” process of natural gas drilling.

In releasing the research, Mike Tidwell, executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said: “The verdict of this new survey is clear: the majority of Americans agree that our country needs to make a rapid switch to clean energy sources like wind and solar. We are not the ‘fringe’ minority that fossil fuel companies make us out to be. Average Americans understand that in the face of rapidly advancing global warming – and the extreme weather that comes with it – there’s simply no reason why our leaders can’t come together to hammer out an energy policy that will protect our children’s future.”

 Pam Solo, founder and president of the Civil Society Institute, said: “Our new survey is a clarion call to action: Americans think that it is time for decisive action toward a renewable energy future that will protect public health and provide reliable and cost effective energy.”

Conducted March 22-25, 2012, the new ORC International survey of 1,019 Americans shows that:

•  Two thirds of Americans (67 percent) think that “political leaders should help to steer the U.S. to greater use of cleaner energy sources – such as increased efficiency, wind and solar – that result in fewer environmental and health damages.” Less than a third of Americans (30 percent) think that “political leaders should stay out of the energy markets and let private enterprise have a free hand in picking energy sources and setting prices.”
• About three out of four Americans (73 percent) agree that “federal spending on energy should focus on developing the energy sources of tomorrow, such as wind and solar, and not the energy sources of yesterday, such as nuclear power.”
• About three out of four Americans (75 percent) – including 58 percent of Republicans, 84 percent of Independents, and 86 percent of Democrats — think that “Congress and state public utility commissions that regulate electric utilities should put more emphasis on renewable energy and increased energy efficiency … and less emphasis on major investments in new nuclear, coal and natural gas plants.”
• More than three out of four Americans (77 percent) – including 70 percent of Republicans, 76 percent of Independents, and 85 percent of Democrats — agree that “the energy industry’s extensive and well-financed public relations, campaign contributions and lobbying machine is a major barrier to moving beyond business as usual when it comes to America’s energy policy.”

The survey also included findings specific to fracking, which has arisen as a major issue across Maryland and Virginia.

•  Nearly six in 10 Americans (56 percent) are now aware of the natural gas drilling process commonly referred to as “fracking.”
• Eight out of 10 Americans (81 percent) who are aware of fracking say that they are concerned – including nearly half (47 percent) who are “very concerned” – about the impact of fracking on water quality.

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Offshore WIND staff, May 01, 2012