Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

2. Support for Energy Policies

2.1. A large bipartisan majority of registered voters support requiring electric utilities to use 100% clean, renewable energy by 2050.

A large majority of registered voters (85%) – including 95% of Democrats and 71% of Republicans – support requiring utilities to produce 100% of their electricity from clean, renewable sources by 2050. Nearly two in three conservative Republicans (64%) support this policy.

2.2. Many voters are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports requiring utilities to use 100% clean, renewable energy.

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 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 (see Data Tables), and 32% say it makes no difference either way.

2.3. Support for funding renewable energy research has increased over the last five years.

From 2013 to 2018, support for funding renewable energy research increased among registered voters by 15 percentage points (from 73% to 88%). This change was driven in large part by a major shift among conservative Republicans, whose support increased by 30 points, from 50% to 80%.

These recent highs reach the prior record highs of 2008, in which overall support for renewable energy research was at 89% (95% of liberal Democrats, 81% of conservative Republicans).

2.4. Support for tax rebates for energy-efficient vehicles and solar panels has increased over the past five years.

From 2013 to 2018, support for tax rebates for energy-efficient vehicles and solar panels increased among registered voters by 12 percentage points (from 73% to 85%). The increases in support were largest among moderate/conservative Democrats (+17%) and conservative Republicans (+12%).