Deepening political divide over clean energy investment

Megan Mullin, faculty director of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, spoke with The Atlantic and The New York Times about the growing political polarization surrounding climate change policy. A new Pew Research Center poll found that support for electric vehicles and renewable energy has declined among Republicans over the past four years. During that time, President Joe Biden has launched initiatives including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which invests at least $370 billion in electric vehicles, solar panels and other renewable energy sources, while former President Donald Trump dismissed global warming as a “hoax.” “That’s on the Republican radar now because the IRA is one of Biden’s signature successes,” Mullin said. She pointed to A bright spot in the public opinion data: Climate change has become an increasingly pressing issue for Democrats over time, now ranking close to such long-term Democratic priorities as education and health care. Mullin also expressed hope that the economic logic of investing in clean energy would ultimately prevail over partisan politics.