2015 Poll Results and Clean Energy Growth Trends
Produced by Clean Edge and SolarCity, U.S. Homeowners on Clean Energy: A National Survey uncovers consumer attitudes about renewables, energy efficiency, clean transportation, green investing, conventional energy sources, electric utilities, and more. Our annual survey of U.S. homeowners provides a deeper view into what’s motivating these consumers, and looks at the often-nuanced reasons behind this notable transition.
Key report findings include:
- 74 percent of Americans polled favored continuing federal tax incentives that support the growth of the solar and wind industries, including 82% of Democrats, two thirds of Republicans (67%), and 72% of Independents.
- In a nation divided on a range of issues, it appears overwhelmingly united in its support of renewables, with nearly nine in ten Americans (87%) saying renewable energy is important to the country’s future.
- When homeowners were asked to pick which specific energy sources were most important to the nation’s future, solar (50%) and wind (42%) led the pack, followed by natural gas (33%) and energy efficiency (25%).
- Solar power was the top choice among all major demographic groups including Republicans, Democrats, Independents, conservatives, liberals, city and rural dwellers, youth, and the elderly.
- Lower in the rankings were one-time energy stalwarts nuclear power (14%) and coal (8%).
1400 U.S. homeowners participated in the survey conducted by Zogby Analytics. Respondents were randomly selected to answer questions about renewables, energy efficiency, clean transportation, green investing, conventional energy sources, electric utilities, and other related topics. All interviews were completed in late January 2014. Based on a confidence interval of 95%, the margin of error for the survey is +/- 2.7 percentage points.