70% of U.S. voters believe policies promoting clean energy will improve economic growth and create jobs: Yale study

Key points:

• Wide support: The majority of US voters support climate policy.
• Tax breaks: Strong support for electric vehicle and solar incentives.
• Bipartisan opportunities: Moderate Republicans are moving closer to Democrats.

A majority of U.S. voters support key climate policies, according to recent research by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University. This broad support covers a variety of policies to address climate change, highlighting significant opportunities for bipartisan efforts.

Carbon storage by farmers Federal funding to help farmers store carbon in the soil has strong support, with 86% of voters supporting the initiative. It is worth noting that this was the only climate policy that gained the approval of conservative Republicans (71% of the vote). This broad support underscores the attractiveness of agricultural solutions to climate change across the political spectrum.

Vocational training in renewable energy As energy production shifts away from fossil fuels, a nationwide program to retrain coal, gas and oil industry workers for renewable energy jobs has won 77% of voter support. The transition to clean energy jobs is seen as essential for economic resilience and sustainability.

Tax breaks for electric vehicles and solar panels Seventy-seven percent of voters also support tax breaks for people who buy electric vehicles or solar panels for their homes. This policy is an important element of the Inflation Reduction Act, a federal law passed in August 2022 that invests significant amounts in clean energy production in the US.

Electrifying heating and cooking Tax credits or credits to help offset the cost of replacing oil- or gas-fired household appliances, such as heat pumps and induction cookers, are supported by 74% of respondents. These incentives are key to reducing household carbon footprints and promoting cleaner energy use.

Carbon dioxide regulation Policies to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant are supported by 74% of voters. This regulatory approach is seen as a necessary step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change.

Transition to clean energy by 2050 Most voters dream of a zero-emission future – 66% support transitioning the US economy from fossil fuels to 100% clean energy by 2050. However, support among conservative Republicans is much lower, at just 23%.

Political division The report shows how opinions on climate policy differ depending on political worldview. Democrats strongly support all of the climate policies outlined in the study. Meanwhile, Republican voters are divided on their policy preferences, with conservative Republicans showing limited support for measures beyond agricultural carbon storage. Interestingly, moderate Republicans express strong support for each policy, aligning more closely with moderate Democrats than with their conservative counterparts.

Opportunities for decision-makers These findings suggest that mainstream views in the U.S. may be coalescing toward agreement on climate solutions. Efforts to seriously reduce climate-warming pollutants have only just begun, and future progress depends on broad and sustained public support. These data indicate that decision-makers have a chance to continue building cross-party agreement.

Related Article: AVANGRID Strengthens Support for Energy Innovation by Expanding Collaboration with Yale

Taken together, strong support for various climate policies among U.S. voters provides a unique opportunity for policymakers to support effective climate initiatives. By leveraging this broad support, particularly from moderate Republicans, there is the potential to foster bipartisan consensus and make significant progress on addressing climate change.

View the full survey