Newsletter Published June 14, 2019 · 2 minute read
Climate & Energy Communications Cheat Sheet 6/14/19
We’re back this week with the results of a brand new climate poll that challenges some conventional wisdom.
With progressive activists driving much of the passion for climate action online, one might assume that digitally-savvy Dems (who tend to lean left) are demanding unrealistic energy policies on impossible timelines. But it turns out these “extremely online” voters are just as pragmatic as they are ambitious when it comes to fighting climate change. For instance, instead of subscribing to a rigid, renewables-only ideology, they would rather use every clean energy technology—including nuclear and carbon capture—to hit aggressive targets as quickly as possible.
To do this work, we recently partnered with Change Research to conduct a climate-focused poll of likelyDemocratic primary voters in key early states. Our polling showed that Democrats are united in wanting climate solutions that are bold, ambitious, and actionable. We just released the findings in a new memo, The New Climate Consensus.
Here are a few key findings:
- 55% of Extremely Online likely Democratic voters want the U.S. to focus on transitioning to 100% clean energy, which means renewables but also nuclear power and carbon capture, while just 36% want renewables only. Among voters who identify climate as their top issue, this preference for 100% clean energy jumps four points to 59%.
- 74% of respondents say they would be more likely to support a candidate with a climate plan that included nuclear and carbon capture alongside renewables like wind and solar. Only 14% say they would be less likely to support a candidate with a technology-inclusive climate plan.
- 82% of these Extremely Online voters express “strong support” for getting to 100% clean power in thirty years, but this dips to 70% when the timeline is cut to ten years. They view the former as credible and the latter as unattainable. Half (48%) say it’s likely we can get to 100% clean power in 30 years, but this drops to 27% when the timeline shifts to ten years.
The findings in the poll are incredibly useful in understanding where voters stand on climate and climate policies. We’d be happy to chat with you about the results and our areas of policy expertise because it will not only take every carbon-free technology to address climate change but also working together toward that shared goal.
