energy in the american mind

The report finds broad bipartisan support for transitioning to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2050, with 85% of registered voters supporting such a requirement for utilities. While most Americans view clean energy positively and believe it will boost economic growth, there is a significant gap in awareness and access to purchasing 100% clean electricity. Support for renewable energy research and tax rebates for energy-efficient vehicles has increased between 2013 and 2018, particularly among conservative Republicans.

• A strong bipartisan majority of registered voters support requiring state electric utilities to produce 100% of their electricity from clean, renewable sources by 2050, with 85% overall support, including 95% of Democrats and 71% of Republicans.
• Support for funding renewable energy research among registered voters rose from 73% in 2013 to 88% in 2018, a trend driven largely by a 30-percentage-point increase in support from conservative Republicans (from 50% to 80%).
• A majority of Americans (58%) believe that policies transitioning from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy will create new jobs and improve economic growth, while only 18% believe such policies will reduce growth and jobs.
• The most cited reasons for transitioning to 100% clean, renewable energy are reducing water pollution (75%), reducing air pollution (74%), and providing a better life for future generations (72%).
• There is a significant lack of awareness or availability regarding the purchase of clean electricity; 82% of Americans either do not know if they have the option to purchase 100% clean, renewable electricity from their provider or believe they do not have the option.
• Approximately half of Americans (49%) would be willing to pay more for 100% clean, renewable electricity, with an average stated willingness to pay $15 more per month.
• Public perception of energy costs suggests that many Americans view solar (38%) and wind (38%) as cheaper than coal, and nearly half believe solar (48%) and wind (45%) will become cheaper over the next decade.
• Coal is viewed as the most harmful energy source to human health by 62% of Americans, while solar and wind are viewed as harmful by only 5% of respondents.
• Support for tax rebates for solar panels and energy-efficient vehicles increased by 12 percentage points among registered voters between 2013 and 2018, rising from 73% to 85%.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2018). energy in the american mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2019/02/Energy-American-Mind-December-2018.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. energy in the american mind. 2018. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2019/02/Energy-American-Mind-December-2018.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=energy in the american mind |date=December 2018 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2019/02/Energy-American-Mind-December-2018.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2018energy, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{energy in the american mind}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2018}, month = dec, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2019/02/Energy-American-Mind-December-2018.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }