Seven out of 10 Midwesterners say that renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, is a reliable, affordable option that is an increasing source of good jobs, according to a new public opinion survey released by a collaboration of environmental and conservation organizations within the RE-AMP network. The poll shows eight out of 10 people surveyed believe that renewable energy will allow the Midwest to be more self-reliant and make its energy supply more secure.
The survey of 2,477 Midwesterners in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin was conducted this summer by a bipartisan team: Public Opinion Strategies, which conducts polling for Republican candidates, and Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates, which specializes in polling for Democratic candidates.
The study finds that voters in the Midwest – across political party, gender, age, and income categories – broadly agree that energy efficiency and renewable energy are necessary to meet future energy needs:
– 95% support increasing energy efficiency;
– 91% support increasing the use of solar energy; and
– 87% support increasing the use of wind energy.
Voters overwhelmingly said that the Midwest should move toward cleaner sources of energy (four out of five), while just 29% said that the region should focus on drilling and digging for more oil, natural gas and coal. Notably, when asked if they would be willing to pay a little extra on their energy bills to promote clean energy and energy efficiency, more than 80% of respondents said they would be willing to pay at least $1 more per month.
