Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

5. Transitioning from Fossil Fuels to Clean Energy

5.1 Most registered voters think the U.S. should use more renewable energy and less fossil fuels in the future.

A majority of registered voters (68%) say that, in the future, the U.S. should use more renewable energy sources (solar, wind, and geothermal) than it does today, while only 12% say the U.S. should use less. Large majorities of liberal Democrats (94%) and moderate/conservative Democrats (78%) say the U.S. should use more renewable energy sources, as do 63% of liberal/moderate Republicans and 43% of conservative Republicans. In all four of these political groups, more people say the U.S. should use more renewable energy than say it should use less.

A majority of registered voters (56%) also say that, in the future, the U.S. should use less fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) than it does today, while only 17% say the U.S. should use more. A large majority of liberal Democrats (85%) and about two-thirds of moderate/conservative Democrats (66%) say the U.S. should use less fossil fuels. Many liberal/moderate Republicans say the U.S. should use less fossil fuels (45%), while 17% say it should use more fossil fuels. Finally, 28% of conservative Republicans say the U.S. should use less fossil fuels, which is about the same percentage that say it should use more (29%).

5.2 Registered voters say improving people’s health, reducing air pollution, and providing a better life for our children and grandchildren are “extremely” or “very” important reasons to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy.

Half or more registered voters say the following reasons to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy are “extremely” or “very” important to them personally: improving people’s health (56%), reducing air pollution (56%), providing a better life for our children and grandchildren (56%), reducing water pollution (55%), getting energy from sources that will never run out (53%), reducing energy costs (52%), reducing global warming (51%), making energy costs more stable (51%), saving many plant and animal species from extinction (50%), and increasing America’s energy independence (50%).

Many registered voters also say creating jobs and a stronger economy (48%), protecting the communities most harmed by the use of fossil fuels (46%), reducing the influence of the fossil fuel industry on our government (42%), making the U.S. a global leader in the clean, renewable energy industry (39%), reducing the military costs of protecting our access to foreign sources of energy (38%), and protecting God’s creation (37%) are important reasons to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy.

Overall, majorities of liberal Democrats and moderate/conservative Democrats say that nearly each one of the reasons to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy is “extremely” or “very” personally important, while fewer liberal/moderate Republicans and conservative Republicans say so. The most notable exception is that moderate/conservative Democrats are the one group where about half say that protecting God’s creation is an “extremely” or “very” important reason (53%).

Additionally, about one-third of registered voters (32%) say that this question is not applicable, because they do not support a transition to 100% clean, renewable energy (refer to data tables, pp. 72—66). Those respondents, which included 7% of liberal Democrats, 16% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 45% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 58% of conservative Republicans, were not asked to respond to the questions about the importance of various reasons to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy.

5.3 Reducing global warming and providing a better life for our children and grandchildren are registered voters’ “most important reasons” to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy.

After respondents rated how important each of the 16 reasons to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy is to them (refer to Section 5.2), they were shown the list of reasons they had rated highest and then asked, “Which one of these reasons to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy is most important to you?”The 32% of registered voters noted in Section 5.2 who said they do not support a transition to 100% clean, renewable energy were not asked this question. This includes 7% of liberal Democrats, 16% of moderate/conservative Democrats, 45% of liberal/moderate Republicans, and 58% of conservative Republicans.

Using this method, reducing global warming is the highest ranked most important reason to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy, with 13% saying it is their most important reason (refer to data tables, p. 78). Providing a better life for our children and grandchildren was the second most important reason (11%), getting energy from sources that will never run out and protecting God’s creation were the third and fourth most important reasons (both 7%).

Among liberal Democrats, reducing global warming is the #1 most important reason (31%), with providing a better life for our children and grandchildren #2 (15%). Among moderate/conservative Democrats, providing a better life for our children and grandchildren is the #1 most important reason (17%), with reducing global warming #2 (12%). Among liberal/moderate Republicans, protecting God’s creation is the #1 most important reason (11%), with reducing energy costs #2 and reducing global warming #3 (both 7%). Among conservative Republicans, providing a better life for our children and grandchildren is the #1 most important reason, with protecting God’s creation #2 (both 7%). Global warming was the least chosen most important reason among conservative Republicans (1%).

5.4 Most registered voters think policies intended to transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy will either make electricity less expensive or have no impact on the price of electricity.

Most registered voters (58%) think policies intended to transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy will either make electricity less expensive (33%) or have no impact on the price of electricity (24%), while many think it will make electricity more expensive (41%).

A majority of liberal Democrats (59%) think such policies will make electricity less expensive and 25% think they will have no impact, while only 15% think they will make it more expensive. Similarly, 42% of moderate/conservative Democrats think these policies will make electricity less expensive and 30% think they will have no impact, while 28% think they will make it more expensive. Half of liberal/moderate Republicans (50%) think such policies will make electricity more expensive, while 22% think they will make it less expensive and 26% think they will have no impact. Finally, a majority of conservative Republicans (68%) think such policies will make electricity more expensive, while 13% think they will make it less expensive and 16% think they will have no impact.