People’s Action Institute worked with member affiliates New Jersey Resource Project (NJRP) and Maine People’s Resource Center (MPRC) to conduct two deep canvassing projects focused on building community support for offshore wind power development. In the Spring and early Summer of 2024, canvassers from these organizations held conversations with over 1,400 local residents in Lacey Township, NJ and the Midcoast region of Maine combined.

A report discussing clean energy job trends under the new Administration, with an emphasis on job decline in states and key districts where Inflation Reduction Act investments have been distributed. Climate Power estimates more than 600 jobs have been lost or jeopardized per day under Trump's first 100 days. The end of the first quarter of 2025 marked the first quarter since 2022 that clean energy job creation declined, ending two and a half years of consistent job growth. This report also discusses the harmful impacts of job declines and stalled or canceled clean energy investments, and what's at stake if these trends continue.

Since the passage of the IRA and CHIPS, billions of dollars in investments have been announced. Specifically, $388 billion of investments and 135,800 jobs have been announced. This resource shows where these investments have been announced in the U.S. It also lists the companies who have made announcements. Investments are shown by type: batteries, electric vehicles, solar, wind, and other. Most investments have been made in the Midwest and south.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling on recent hurricanes and the government’s disaster response, new polling on renewable energy and grid expansion, and new state polls about energy issues in Pennsylvania, California, and Texas.

Voters in California and Texas both overwhelmingly agree that their states should be doing more to encourage solar power; voters see clear benefits of solar power for grid reliability, the economy, and costs. In California: Solar power – 85% agree that their utility should be using more; Wind power – 78%; Offshore wind power – 72%; Natural gas power – 57%; Nuclear power – 52%. In Texas: Solar power – 73% agree that their utility should be using more; Wind power – 69%; Natural gas power – 67%; Nuclear power – 50%; Coal power – 40%. Accordingly, large majorities in both California (85%) and Texas (71%) agree that their state’s policymakers should be doing more to encourage the use of solar power. In both states, there is a potent argument that solar can help to make an outdated electric grid more resilient and reliable.

Voters widely support investments in renewable energy and grid expansion. Most support solar farms and transmission projects in their own communities. 65% of voters say that the U.S. should invest more in renewable energy like solar and wind. By a 62%-28% margin, voters support a federal renewable electricity standard that would require the U.S. to generate 70% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2034, including four in five Democrats (83%), the majority of independents (57%), and four in ten Republicans (42%). 77% of voters say that it’s important to expand the transmission grid in the U.S. 55% of voters support a transmission project being built in their community, with just 29% opposed.

Pennsylvanians have mixed attitudes about fracking. Voters in the state overwhelmingly want stronger regulations on the industry, and around four in ten support phasing out fracking completely. Voters in the state are about three times as likely to have positive attitudes than negative attitudes about the clean energy industry (62% favorable / 21% unfavorable). Specific types of clean energy, including solar energy (80% favorable / 11% unfavorable) and wind energy (73% favorable / 16% unfavorable), are even more popular. Meanwhile, voters are closely divided in their attitudes about the oil and gas industry (45% favorable / 44% unfavorable). And while Pennsylvanians have overwhelmingly positive opinions about natural gas (75% favorable / 14% unfavorable), they are more split in their opinions about fracking (44% favorable / 37% unfavorable). More than four in ten voters (83%), including 71% of Republicans, support federal subsidies for clean energy development. Pennsylvanians are also far more supportive of the government spending taxpayer dollars on wind and solar development (84% support / 16% oppose) than on fracking and pipeline development (62% support / 38% oppose).

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.

Short videos can increase support for solar and wind energy. This research found an 8% increase in persuasion via videos on social media that showed clean energy improves the local economy. Persuasion was particularly effective for self-identified moderates compared to somewhat conservative or conservative participants. Political “moderates” supported expanding clean energy by an additional 22% compared to the control group (compared to -9% to -1% effect range for very conservatives). Persuasion was also particularly effective for people who did not support expanding clean energy in the pre-survey. Support for expanding clean energy increased by 19% for those who did not support it in the pre-survey (opposed or neutral). One month later, persuasion towards clean energy persisted only among people who were neutral in the pre-survey. All other effects had decayed away, demonstrating that continued, long-term exposure to messages is needed for persuasion to persist.

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.