There’s been a decline in the breadth of support for wind and solar power. Those that favor expanding solar and wind power farms have been down 12 percentage points and 11 points, respectively, since 2020, driven by sharp drops in support among Republicans.
Interest in buying an electric vehicle (EV) is lower than a year ago. Today, 29% of Americans say they would consider an EV for their next purchase, down from 38% in 2023.
Still, a majority of Americans (63%) support the goal of the U.S. taking steps to become carbon neutral by 2050. When asked which is the greater priority, far more Americans continue to say the country should focus on developing renewable energy rather than fossil fuel sources (65% vs. 34%).
The survey, conducted May 13-19 among 8,638 U.S. adults, finds a fairly modest share of U.S. adults (25%) say it’s extremely or very important to them personally to limit their own “carbon footprint.” Far more give this middling or low priority.
These findings illustrate how large shares of Americans support the general notion of more renewable energy, which would decrease overall carbon emissions. Still, this general orientation does not necessarily translate into a strong commitment to reducing personal carbon emissions or interest in buying an EV.
For more information, contact Sean Wallentine.