More than three-quarters of voters across party lines want to see their electric utilities invest more in solar energy—the most favored form of electricity among those polled—and they 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 released today at Solar Power International, illustrates solar energy’s widespread appeal among voters and national support for pro-solar policies, such as net metering and renewable portfolio standards.
“Democrats, Republicans and Independents all said, everything being equal, they would vote against a politician who opposed solar power,” said Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) president and CEO, Abigail Ross Hopper. “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.”
According to the poll, more than 70% of registered voters support both net metering and renewable portfolio standards of at least 50% by 2030. 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.
“The polling showed that the industry does have an opportunity to move the needle in its favor,” said Andrew Baumann, senior vice president of Global Strategies Group. “Whether it’s support for pro-solar policies, a desire to invest in solar, or an interest taking actions to advancing solar deployment, people’s pro-solar opinions became stronger with better information.”
To read the Global Strategy Group poll findings, go to www.seia.org/thisiswhy.
News item from SEIA
Brett K says
September 26, 2018 at 1:14 pmkelsey,, I notice that my local utilty Pacific Gas Electric and other utilty South Ca Ediston ? are now including internal combustion engines in their SGIP list . Self Generation Incentive program originall set up for solar and wind. They allow homeowners to apply to have internal combustion engine /generator permanently installed on their properties even in common subdivision neighborhoods.. I figure that as more homeowners buy electric cars , they will find that solar power is inadequate and want internal combustion generators as they can generate far more KWHs than solar panels.. An electric car requires 150 to 200 kwh to be fully charged and if every homeowner on the block has an EV, then the local transformer will blow up. I am not sure, but my next door neighbor appears to have one ICE generator installed already. It may not be just for electric vehicles but also pot farms , heavy arc welding equipmetn for shady tree mechanics, you know.. or any kind of home business that requires vast amount of electricity. homeowners are demanding more and more amperage than their fuseboxes can allow. Would you investigate PGE about their SGIP program that allow internal comubstion engines to be used.. They are four cylinde or six cylinder or those similar to Thermo King refrigerator boxes on the front end of refrigerated food transport trailers trucks. Our neighborhoods will probably be more polluted than ever..