Tag Archives: Americans

Shocking News (Not Shocking): Americans Prefer Solar As An Electricity Source

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

For years, the poll everyone cited had 90% of Americans supporting solar. But that poll is now a few years out of date, and the energy source is is more pervasive than ever. So what if you took a poll now – would those numbers remain so high?

Well, now we have the the answer from the most recent The Global Strategy Group poll released today at Solar Power International – and the answer is yes. 91% of Americans prefer solar as a source of electricity, and 76% want their utilities to acquire more solar in their portfolios.

Most encouragingly, especially for those who say the industry need to be more politically active, Americans want more action by the government to encourage the use of both large and small-scale solar power, according to fresh polling on people’s attitudes about energy.

The Global Strategy Group poll illustrates solar energy’s widespread appeal among voters and national support for pro-solar policies, such as net metering and renewable portfolio standards.

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“Democrats, Republicans and Independents all said, everything being equal, they would vote against a politician who opposed solar power,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “Politicians can take this to the bank – Americans will not stand for government or company policies that prevent them from accessing clean, renewable, job-producing, affordable power.”

More than 70% of registered voters support both net metering and renewable portfolio standards of at least 50 percent by 2030, and nine out of 10 respondents also said that their power company should not be able to stop them from using solar energy.

The polling revealed that the most convincing arguments for going solar are that it emits less pollution leading to lower health risks than other forms of energy, that it creates economic and job growth, and that solar prices are dropping substantially, making it affordable for all Americans.

Support for solar was particularly strong with younger voters, men, Hispanics and opinion leaders. The data shows that more education and awareness leads to more favorable opinions about solar across the board, emphasizing the need to increase education about solar energy.

Americans Tell Gallup: Develop More Solar, Please

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

What Happened: Gallup’s annual Environment survey indicates that Americans want to develop more alternative energy sources instead of traditional fossil-fuel generation, to the tune of 73%. (Psst…Gallup….Lynn Jurich called and would like her conclusion back, please. Thank you.)

  • In contrast, only 25% of the country is worried about the availability or affordability of energy in this country.
  • And finally, more than half of Americans want to prioritize environmental conservation over fossil-fuel energy development (which may mean that, for now, the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve is safe from oil derricks).

Americans

SolarWakeup’s View:  All I keep hearing is how much Americans want to develop more solar energy. Poll after poll indicates that, including what I refer to as “the famous 90% poll” I’ve been hearing about since I joined the industry in 2011. Lynn Jurich of Sunrun posited as much in her latest thought-leadership piece.

The latest Gallup Environment survey is no exception.

According to the poll’s findings, 73% of Americans want the United States to wean itself of traditional fossil fuels and pour more research into alternative energy sources like solar and wind. And more than 50% prefer to protect the environment over more fossil fuel exploration.

So why does solar still find itself fighting an uphill battle in state after state to get itself established (in South Carolina, for example, where they were SO close to expandinig the industry but decided to kill it instead – sorry, my jaw is still dropped on that one)?

The answer is pretty easy, of course, and you know it deep in your soul – the coal, oil and gas industries are deeply entrenched in the political and utility infrastructure, and those interests are fighting a savage rearguard action to maintain their own power.

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But it’s a fight they will lose. The American people keep speaking, loudly, against their monopoly. Eventually, those voices will drown out the shrieking death throes of fossil fuel interests.

In the meantime, however, solar can’t just sit back and wait for this to happen. Americans have the attention spans of drunken gnats, so it’s incumbent on us to keep fighting to get the word out about the benefits of solar energy – as a job creator, as an environmental safeguard and as a national-security bulwark. I’ve always said that if we could activate the general public, solar would win this battle easily.

So let’s do it already – there are groups out there with whom an alliance to make this happen just makes sense. Make it happen in your community, and I’ll do what I can to make it happen in mine.

Deal?

More:

U.S. Energy Concerns Low; Increasing Supply Not a Priority (Gallup)

What Would Consumers Choose? (Solar. They Would Choose Solar.) (SolarWakeup, courtesy of Sunrun)

Solar United Neighbors