New Poll: 9 out of 10 Americans Support Solar, Across Political Spectrum

[kristopher]

New Poll: 9 out of 10 Americans Support Solar, Across Political Spectrum
Washington, DC (PRWEB) November 01, 2011

...Americans overwhelmingly support the use and development of solar energy as well as federal investments for solar, according to a new national poll. These and other findings were reported today in the 2011 SCHOTT Solar Barometer(TM), a nationally representative survey conducted annually by independent polling firm Kelton Research.

For the fourth consecutive year, the survey found that about nine out of 10 Americans (89 percent) think it is important for the United States to develop and use solar energy. Support for solar is strong across the political spectrum with 80 percent of Republicans, 90 percent of Independents and 94 percent of Democrats agreeing that it is important for the United States to develop and use solar.

The survey also found that Americans want federal incentives for solar. More than eight out of 10 Americans (82 percent) support federal tax credits and grants for the solar industry similar to those that traditional sources of energy like oil, natural gas and coal have received for decades. Seventy-one percent of Republicans agree, as well as 82 percent of Independents and 87 percent of Democrats.

Furthermore, when asked to select an energy source they would financially support if they were in charge of U.S. energy policy, 39 percent of Americans chose solar over other sources such as natural gas (21 percent), wind (12 percent), nuclear (9 percent) and coal (3 percent). Among Independents, solar is more than twice as popular as any other energy source (43 percent for solar compared to 20 percent for natural gas)...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/11/01/prweb8926717.DTL

[Pharaoh]

1. Doh!!!

:freak:

[kristopher]

5. Sometimes the obvious isn't so obvious to some.

Especially in the shadow of manufactured "scandals".

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

2. Trijicon is releasing a new solar powered weapon sight... solar must be selling.

Trijicon is that company that was supplying US military optics/scopes with Biblical references inscribed on them.
Looks like everyone's going green!

[Old and In the Way]

3. Making decentralized solar/renewable a national energy strategy would address

4 issues.

1) national security - no more wars for oil - this could scale back the 700BB/year we spend providing muscle for Big Oil to get their product to market. A decentralized grid would mitigate the potential for terror attacks that could cause significant damage.

2) create jobs building the infrastrucutre and maintaining it.

3) reduce energy costs giving manufacturing a competitive advantage against oil-based energy economies.

4) provide future generations with a cleaner environment because we are burning hydro-carbons.

[AlinPA]

4. Surpises me that so many republicans support solar, especially the federal tax

credits and grants. Their "leaders" are out of step with them or the survey is faulty.

[kristopher]

6. I don't think the survey is faulty on that point...

I haven't read the questions, but that result is consistent with other polling over a long period of time.