In this episode, David Roberts chats with Ari Matusiak, co-founder and head of Rewiring America, which recently received a $2 billion grant from the feds to take home electrification mainstream. They dig into the practical challenges — getting local contractors on board, simplifying rebate access — and the enormous opportunities.

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.

An overwhelming, bipartisan majority of voters (77%) believe that building more transmission is important for the U.S. When asked about overhead transmission lines being built in their community, more than a third of respondents (34%) have not heard enough to say, with the remainder of respondents split between a favorable opinion (30%) and an unfavorable opinion (36%). Unsurprisingly, underground lines are more favorable (52%) despite being cost prohibitive for developers to date, though 34% of voters still haven’t heard enough to say their opinions. 55% of voters say they would support a transmission line being built in their community. Support is slightly lower among Black (49%) voters, compared with white (57%) and Latino (66%) voters. A majority of respondents (60%) agree that new transmission would improve reliability, leading to fewer blackouts and outages. Most voters (58%) prefer a publicly owned and operated transmission system, compared with just 24% who support private ownership.

This guide aims to ensure that frontline communities can better understand and actively engage in the energy transition. This guide can serve as a valuable resource for energy justice advocates by simplifying the intricacies of utility regulation and providing essential tools, resources, and strategies. The guide breaks down the sometimes complicated world of energy regulation, providing explanations of key concepts such as Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs), rate cases, and the role of Public Utility Commissions (PUCs). Learn about typical processes that happen at utility commissions, including public hearings and stakeholder engagement opportunities. This includes tips on preparing effective public comments, participating in public hearings, and collaborating with other advocates to make a real difference in shaping energy policies. Find actionable recommendations tailored to community organizations, policymakers, and regulators. Explore real-world examples of advocacy efforts that have led to positive changes in energy policy.

This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling and research on the EPA's vehicle emissions rules, utilities, and people’s emotional responses to climate change.

HEADLINES

Voters mostly like their utility companies, but overwhelmingly oppose junk fees and utilities using customers’ money to fund lobbying and political activities. 72% of voters support legislation to prevent utility providers from using money collected from customers’ monthly bills to fund political activities. Support for this proposal is very balanced across party lines, with 74% of Democrats, 72% of independents, and 69% of Republicans in favor of legislation that would ban utility companies from using customers’ money on political activities.

Americans are widely concerned about aging and unreliable electric grid infrastructure. Grid reliability, along with health and jobs, is a key argument in favor of transitioning to clean energy.

Two-thirds of voters say that they would support having a publicly owned utility as their electricity provider; having a say over electricity rates is the biggest perceived benefit. A strong majority of likely voters nationwide (68%) support having a publicly owned utility as their local utility provider. Support holds across party lines, with majority support among Democrats (71%), Independents (66%), and Republicans (67%). A majority of voters (60%) report that their utility bills increased in the last year. When asked, a plurality of voters (39%) want their utility company’s top priority to be lowering prices for consumers. Voters also want their utility to prioritize ensuring reliable service (21%), upgrading aging grid infrastructure (17%), and transitioning to renewable energy (15%).

Recent focus groups underscore widespread enthusiasm for clean energy and urgency for electrification in New England. In the summer of 2023, Barr Foundation sponsored six focus groups with homeowners in each New England state and a final group with renters to gain further insights. They were particularly interested in discussing electrification, which has become a central part of climate strategies in the region. In alignment with the climate poll, respondents had an overwhelmingly positive perception of clean energy, but they also had questions about implementation, the costs of the energy transition, and how their own lives might change in the future. Many respondents viewed the clean energy transition as inevitable; they encouraged incentives and policies at the state and federal level that further clean energy development. A factor which gave participants pause was grid reliability; participants were concerned about the ability of the electric system to handle the transition of the power supply and the addition of many heat pumps and electric vehicles. Residents’ hesitation to adopt clean technologies is tied to costs, and most are unaware of incentives that are already available to them (or will be soon). People like heat pumps (once they know what they are). Rooftop solar is considered a luxury. Participants like the idea of clean heat standards+.

Voters support stronger EPA rules on power plant pollution and want their local utility companies to prioritize clean energy over fossil fuels. Voters support the EPA’s proposed new power plant pollution rules by a 65%-24% margin after reading a brief description of them. 76% of voters disapprove of utility companies using money collected from consumers’ bills to fund political activities like lobbying. By a 59%-33% margin, voters say that their local utility company should prioritize clean energy like wind and solar over fossil fuel energy like coal, oil, and gas. 54% of voters say that their local utility company should support the EPA’s proposed new power plant pollution rules.