This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new national polling on climate change as an issue priority for voters and new polling in Michigan about the state’s energy policies.

Michigan voters have much more positive attitudes toward the clean energy industry than the fossil fuel industry, and want the state to hold oil and gas companies more accountable for their pollution. Around four in five voters in the state have favorable attitudes about solar (81% favorable / 14% unfavorable) and wind (79% favorable / 17% unfavorable) as energy sources. Republicans in the state also have overwhelmingly positive attitudes about both energy sources, with around seven in ten Republicans saying that they feel favorably about solar (73% favorable / 21% unfavorable) and wind (70% favorable / 25% unfavorable). Around three-quarters of voters feel favorably about clean energy companies (73% favorable / 20% unfavorable), including three in five Republicans (61% favorable / 31% unfavorable). Meanwhile, only half of voters in the state have favorable attitudes about fossil fuel companies (50% favorable / 38% unfavorable). Most voters in the state (58%) say that oil and gas companies have a negative impact on air quality for Michigan communities, and around half also say that these fossil fuel companies are negatively impacting water quality (51%) and public health (48%) in Michigan.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling on extreme weather, environmental justice, water quality, offshore wind, and proposed measures to protect workers from extreme heat.

Voters in Southern New England widely agree that their states should work together to expand offshore wind in the region. Lower energy prices are a critical benefit to highlight. Majorities of voters in Connecticut (68%), Massachusetts (75%), and Rhode Island (67%) support their states transitioning from getting most of their heating and electricity from gas to generating heating and electricity from entirely renewable energy sources. Solar, wind, and hydropower are all overwhelmingly popular energy sources in Southern New England. Large majorities in each state favor using more solar power (78%+), hydropower (74%+), and wind power (70%+) to generate electricity. Voters in each state, including residents of coastal counties, widely back proposed tri-state collaboration to expand offshore wind in the region. Majorities of voters in Connecticut (75%), Massachusetts (77%), and Rhode Island (67%) support the three states working together to build offshore wind farms to generate electricity. Across states, there is virtually no difference in support for the proposal between residents of coastal counties (72%) and residents of non-coastal counties (74%).

Steady majorities of voters say that clean energy and global warming should be high priorities for the President and Congress, and voters overwhelmingly prefer pro-climate candidates over candidates who oppose climate action. By a greater than four-to-one margin, voters would prefer to vote for a candidate for public office who supports action on global warming (62%) over a candidate who opposes action on global warming (15%). 74% of voters support the Inflation Reduction Act after reading a brief description of it. 77% of voters support providing tax rebates to people who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or solar panels. 74% of voters support tax credits or rebates to encourage people to buy electric appliances, such as heat pumps and induction stoves, that run on electricity instead of oil or gas. 66% of voters support transitioning the U.S. economy from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050. 80% of voters support strengthening enforcement of industrial pollution limits in low-income communities and communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by air and water pollution. 65% of voters support building solar farms in their local area. 58% of voters support building wind farms in their local area.

Policymakers rely less on academic research on offshore wind than they do on other reports, which present more negative effects of offshore wind. For offshore wind farms, decision-makers more frequently rely on “grey literature” such as environmental statements, impact or habitat risk assessments, survey reports, social studies, and pre- and post-construction reports. 71% of outcomes reported in grey literature for the impacts of offshore wind farms are negative, compared with 36% in primary literature.

Americans in coastal counties have overwhelmingly positive attitudes about offshore wind energy and support offshore wind near where they live. Energy independence is a strong rationale for expanding offshore wind, though there are concerns about impacts on wildlife. Surveying Americans who live in coastal counties, they find that these Americans have overwhelmingly positive attitudes about offshore wind and its expansion – including in their own areas: 68% support the construction of offshore wind farms to harness wind; energy in U.S.

Declining support for offshore wind in New Jersey shows the dangers of misinformation about renewable energy. Just over half of New Jersey residents (54%) favor placing electricity-generating wind farms off the state’s coast while 40% oppose this action. In 2019, wind energy support stood at a much higher 76%, with just 15% opposed. Prior to that, support for offshore wind farms was even higher, ranging between 80% and 84% in polls taken from 2008 to 2011.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including on prioritizing clean energy sources over fossil fuels, voters supporting investments in clean energy and energy efficiency, and clean energy in key states.

Voters are worried that climate change will increase the cost of living, but have hope that the expansion of renewables will bring down energy costs. 69% of all likely voters believe that climate change effects will increase costs for consumers. 70% of Americans believe that expanding renewable energy production, like wind and solar power, will bring energy costs down (including 88% of Democrats and 53% of Republicans).