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 In both states, there is a potent argument that solar can help to make an outdated electric grid more resilient and reliable.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.

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 polling on support for the Inflation Reduction Act, plastic pollution regulation, solar energy policies, and concern about climate impacts.

Solar continues to be voters’ favorite source of energy, with most saying that it’s good for the economy and costs. Pro-solar arguments consistently win in head-to-head messaging tests against common criticisms about reliability, land use, and supply chains. 84% of voters support the construction of a utility-scale solar farm near their own community. 75% of voters agree that solar power is good for America’s economy. 74% of voters agree that increasing our use of solar power would save American families money. 74% of voters agree that their electric utility should get more of its electricity from solar power. 66% of voters agree that solar power creates good-paying jobs.

Most Americans want more renewable energy, but support has dipped. Interest in electric vehicles has also declined. The shares who favor expanding solar and wind power farms are down 12 percentage points and 11 points, respectively, since 2020, driven by sharp drops in support among Republicans. Today, 29% of Americans say they would consider an EV for their next purchase, down from 38% in 2023. Still, a majority of Americans (63%) support the goal of the U.S. taking steps to become carbon neutral by 2050. When asked which is the greater priority, far more Americans continue to say the country should focus on developing renewable energy than fossil fuel sources (65% vs. 34%). A fairly modest share of U.S. adults (25%) say it’s extremely or very important to them personally to limit their own “carbon footprint.”

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.