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Americans want states to lead charge on renewable energy, survey finds

Ian Robertson
/
https://flic.kr/p/9r6VTd

According to a new survey a majority of Americans think states should pursue renewable energy policies in the absence of federal mandates.

The survey, from the Gerald R. Ford School for Public Policy, found that 66 percent of Americans think states should take the lead to combat global warming.

Barry Rabe helped conduct the survey. He says they polled people before President Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement.

“And we found nationwide rather strong support for the idea that citizens think that their state governments should be promoting renewables through required use or required expansion with similar regard to energy efficiency.”

Rabe said the survey found greater support for renewable energy investment.

“We found that a majority, 66 percent of Americans, think that it’s their state's responsibility to address the issue of global warming in the absence of federal action. And the idea of renewable energy mandates, renewable electricity, had a 79 percent level of support.”

Rabe said one of the things the survey revealed was growing belief in climate change among the public.

“In some ways what we’re seeing now in 2017 is pretty close to what we saw in 2008 and 2009. Those numbers began to drop in 2010, 11 and 12 when there was a lot of controversy around possible policies and there was a pretty aggressive effort in the country to discredit climate science.”

Rabe said about 79 percent of people support increased investment into renewable energies - which he says could suggest that even those who don’t believe in climate change are in favor of renewable energy.

He says the survey suggests there is enough support to continue expanding state investment in renewable energies.