Post Election Poll Shows Broad Support for Sustainable Energy

[Lisa Marina Brooks <lbrooks@essential.org>]

  ******* CRITICAL MASS ENERGY PROJECT *******
  
  
  	SUSTAINABLE ENERGY COALITION
  
  	315 Circle Avenue, #2, Takoma Park, MD 20912-4836 
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  	National Post-Election Survey Finds Voters;
  	Strongly Support Renewable Energy and Efficiency Measures and
  	Oppose Funding for Fossil Fuel and Nuclear Power Programs
  	Most Have Concerns About Climate Change;
  	Majority Support International Climate Change Treaty
  	Majority Support Mandating Renewables and Efficiency
  	in Federal Electric Utility Restructuring Legislation;
  	Most Oppose Recovery of Uneconomic Nuclear Assets
  
  
  For Release: December 11, 1996	   Contact: Henry Griggs (202-326-8714)
  Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.			    Ken Bossong (301-270-2258)
  
  Washington DC -- A national public opinion survey conducted immediately
  following the November election, and released today by a national
  coalition of business, environmental, consumer, and energy policy
  organizations, found broad, consistent, and bi-partisan support for
  federal funding, tax incentives, and appliance efficiency standards to
  promote renewable energy and energy efficient technology programs.
  However, little support exists for fossil fuels such as coal and oil or
  for nuclear power technologies like pyroprocessing.  
  
  With most Americans viewing global climate change as a serious
  environmental threat, the majority favor the United States signing an
  international agreement to set a binding deadline for reducing greenhouse
  gas emissions.  Finally, as Congress and many states consider legislation
  to deregulate the electric utility industry, voters made clear that they
  want provisions included to mandate renewable energy, energy efficiency,
  and environmental protection and they want utilities and shareholders --
  not consumers -- to bear the cost for uneconomic "stranded nuclear
  assets."   
  
  These are among the key findings of the survey, "America Speaks Out on
  Energy: A Survey of 1996 Post-Election Views" conducted for the
  Sustainable Energy Coalition by the Republican polling firm of
  Research/Strategy/Management, Inc. of Lanham, MD from November 9 to 14
  among a sample of 1,200 registered voters.  The survey, which is being
  simultaneously co-released by 22 other organizations in 16 states, has a
  margin of error of +/-2.9%.  
  
  The 15 questions addressed federal funding of energy research and
  development, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Lights
  and Energy Star programs, nuclear pyroprocessing, tax support for ethanol
  and other energy sources, appliance efficiency standards, the seriousness
  of global climate change, and an international agreement to control
  greenhouse gas emissions.
  
  In addition, the survey posed a series of questions on the topic of
  restructuring the electric utility industry, which the new Congress is
  expected to begin debating early next year.  Specific topics addressed
  include mandating that electricity generators include renewable energy
  sources in their mix; using a Renewable Portfolio Standard to promote
  increased use of renewables, requiring utilities to invest in energy
  efficiency measures, disposing of so-called "stranded nuclear assets;" and
  establishing comparable environmental standards for all utility
  fossil-fueled plants.
  
  Key findings include:
  
  	Federal Energy Budget Issues
  
  For the third year in a row, a majority (56%) of all voters, and nearly
  two-thirds (66%) of those expressing a preference, would give the highest
  priority to funding the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) renewable energy
  and energy efficiency research and development (R&D) programs.  On the
  other hand, nearly a third (31%) of respondents selected nuclear power as
  the first R&D program that should be subject to budget cuts, followed by
  fossil fuels (21%).
  
  A plurality (45%) of voters favor maintaining funding for EPA's Green
  Lights, Energy Star and other voluntary energy efficiency programs at the
  current levels, and 24% favor increased funding.
  
  A plurality (44%) of voters also oppose Congress funding the nuclear
  pyroprocessing program.  Opposition is particularly strong among
  Republicans and Independents, where 54% of voters expressing an opinion
  were opposed to continued funding.
  
  	Tax Incentives and Priorities
  
  Although 73% of respondents said that cutting taxes made at least some
  difference in how they voted for Congress, a majority (52%) of all voters,
  and nearly two-thirds (62%) of those stating a preference, supported tax
  incentives for either renewable energy or energy efficiency efforts.
  Support for natural gas, other fossil fuels, and nuclear power tax
  incentives only measured in the single digits for each.
  
  Moreover, an overwhelming majority (83%) noted their preference for
  redirecting tax breaks to renewable fuels while only 10% felt they should
  continue to be given to oil companies.  Nearly three-quarters of voters
  (71%) also support continuing the federal tax exemption for
  ethanol-blended gasoline while only 20% are opposed.
  
  	Appliance Efficiency Standards
  
  Nearly two-thirds (65%) of voters, including a majority of Republicans
  (53%), favor strengthening appliance efficiency standards.  This support
  exists even though a majority of respondents (56% vs. 35%) -- when asked
  about the role of government in the economy -- believe that the government
  is generally doing too many things.  In response to a similar question
  asked a year ago, only 48% of voters favored having the government
  continue to strengthen appliance efficiency standards while 46% preferred
  letting the market place determine new standards.
  
  	Climate Change; Signing an International Agreement
  
  For the second year in a row, over seventy percent (71%) of voters said
  they viewed global climate change as a serious threat.  This view extends
  across all political party affiliations including Reform Party members
  (83%), Democrats (82%), Independents (72%), and Republicans (56%).
  
  Half of all respondents said they were in favor of the United States
  signing an international agreement that would set a legally binding
  deadline for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  A fifth of voters (20%)
  are somewhat opposed while only 21% strongly oppose signing such a treaty.
  The strongest support comes from voters (66%) who cast their ballot in the
  November 1996 election for President Clinton, whose Administration will be
  taking the lead in negotiating a treaty throughout the coming year.
  
  	Electric Utility Restructuring
  
  A majority (53%) of voters favor Congress requiring electricity companies
  to use renewable energy sources while 44% would leave the choice up to the
  companies' discretion.  Even stronger support (57%) was expressed for
  including a Renewable Portfolio Standard (that would direct electricity
  generators to include a percentage of renewables in their energy mix) in
  federal electric utility restructuring legislation even if it means higher
  utility bills.
  
  By a large majority (69%), voters favor requiring utilities to invest in
  energy efficiency programs; only 10% of voters strongly oppose such a
  requirement while 16% are somewhat opposed.  This view is particularly
  strong among voters (84%) who believe the environment should be a top
  congressional priority in 1997.
  
  By a lopsided margin (70%), voters felt that utilities and their
  shareholders should be primarily responsible for paying the debt on
  existing nuclear power plants that may not be able to compete in a
  restructured utility market.  Only 14% thought that the consumers served
  by these utilities should pay for these so-called "stranded assets" while
  8% indicated that the general public should pay through their taxes.
  
  Finally, a majority of voters (53%) "strongly favor" strong environmental
  standards that would apply equally to all fossil fuel power plants while
  another 27% "somewhat favor" such standards for a combined total of 80%.
  This view is shared by people of all political stripe including voters
  (68%) who define themselves as very conservative. 
  
  	# # # # # # #
  
  The Sustainable Energy Coalition is a coalition of 40+ national business,
  environmental, consumer, and energy policy organizations (list available
  upon request) founded in 1992 to encourage a shift in federal energy
  priorities to favor renewable energy and energy efficiency.
  
  The analysis can be found on the Critical Mass Energy Project homepage at
  http://www.citizen.org/cmep/
  
  Copies of the 100+ page survey, "America Speaks Out on Energy: A Survey of
  1996 Post-Election Views," are available for $25/copy.  Copies are
  available without charge to members of the media upon request.
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