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Poll: Georgia Voters Support Climate Action


With our partners at Climate Nexus and George Mason University, we are pleased to share the results of a new poll of registered voters in Georgia, ahead of the next Democratic presidential candidate debate this Wednesday. We find that Georgia voters support a broad array of policies to address climate impacts and increase production of renewable energy in the state, and they want their elected officials to support those policies.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Georgians think developing more renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, should be the most important priority for addressing Georgia’s energy needs, significantly more than those who say building more natural gas (9%) or nuclear (9%) power plants should be the top priority. Three-quarters (75%) support increasing government funding for renewable energy including close to half (45%) who strongly support such a policy, and more than eight in 10 (81%) support measures to expand community solar projects in their local areas. Nearly two-thirds (66%) of Georgia voters support establishing a 100% renewable portfolio standard (RPS) in the state.

Georgians say they are already experiencing the impacts of climate change in their state and want their leaders to do something about it. Close to two-thirds (65%) say climate change is having a large or some impact on the state’s agriculture, and roughly six in 10 say climate change is impacting extreme weather events in Georgia (62%) and the health of the state’s residents (58%). Majorities of Georgia voters also say climate change is impacting the state’s economy (54%) and their family’s health (51%).

At least seven in 10 Georgia voters say they would be more likely to support a candidate for political office who favors increasing government funding for renewable energy (71%) or setting stronger fuel efficiency standards (70%). Roughly two-thirds would be more likely to support candidates who favor requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a tax on their carbon pollution (67%) or requiring electric utility companies to achieve a national renewable portfolio standard (RPS) of 100% renewable energy by 2050 (66%).

These and many more interesting findings, as well as the survey methodology, are available in the summary memo and the poll toplines.