Who is willing to pay more for renewable energy?

Two national surveys of American adults found that 47% are willing to pay more per month for 100% renewable electricity, with an overall average willingness to pay of $16.25. The highest willingness to pay is associated with liberal Democrats, younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, those with graduate degrees, and individuals who perceive renewable energy as economically beneficial or fossil fuel pollution as harmful to health. Notably, higher income does not correlate with a higher willingness to pay, suggesting the issue is not primarily about affordability.

• Nearly half of Americans (47%) expressed a willingness to pay more for electricity from 100% renewable sources, while 50% stated they would pay $0.
• The average additional amount Americans are willing to pay per month for renewable energy is $16.25, though this rises to $33.72 among those willing to pay at least some amount.
• Willingness to pay more is highest among liberal Democrats, younger adults, racial/ethnic minorities, people with graduate degrees, and those who believe renewable energy strengthens the economy or that fossil fuel pollution harms human health.
• There is no correlation between higher income and a greater willingness to pay for renewable energy, indicating that the decision is not driven by the ability to afford the cost.

APA

Goldberg, M., Rosenthal, S., Gustafson, A., Kotcher, J., Maibach, E., & Leiserowitz, A. (2019). Who is willing to pay more for renewable energy? Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/who-is-willing-to-pay-more-for-renewable-energy/

Chicago

Goldberg, Matthew, Seth Rosenthal, Abel Gustafson, John Kotcher, Edward Maibach, and Anthony Leiserowitz. Who is willing to pay more for renewable energy? Center for Climate Change Communication, 2019. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/who-is-willing-to-pay-more-for-renewable-energy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Goldberg |first1=Matthew |last2=Rosenthal |first2=Seth |last3=Gustafson |first3=Abel |last4=Kotcher |first4=John |last5=Maibach |first5=Edward |last6=Leiserowitz |first6=Anthony |title=Who is willing to pay more for renewable energy? |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=16 July 2019 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/who-is-willing-to-pay-more-for-renewable-energy/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{goldberg2019who, author = {Goldberg, Matthew and Rosenthal, Seth and Gustafson, Abel and Kotcher, John and Maibach, Edward and Leiserowitz, Anthony}, title = {{Who is willing to pay more for renewable energy?}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2019}, month = jul, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/who-is-willing-to-pay-more-for-renewable-energy/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }