There is support for at least 10 major energy proposals among two-thirds of Americans according to a new survey – but the public may not yet be prepared for the trade-offs and challenges needed to make these proposals a reality.
The survey, entitled The Energy Learning Curve, released by Public Agenda, found that there is rejection of anything that increases the cost of driving and while people are willing to change their behaviour in many ways they don’t want to be forced into it.
According to the survey, 73 per cent of the public disagrees with the statement “if we get gas prices to drop and stay low, we don’t need to be worried about finding alternative sources of energy“. Around 53 per cent even strongly disagree with the statement.
However, there are still challenges in gaining public support for a number of schemes to implement the changes needed. For example, 72 per cent reject setting a floor on petrol prices; 61 per cent oppose congestion pricing; and 57 per cent reject a tax even if it would be used to achieve “energy independence”.
The survey found that the public can be split into four distinct groups:
- - Around 40 per cent who are worried about energy costs, oil scarcity and global warming and favour conservation, regulation and development of alternative energy sources. Generally, they are younger and on lower incomes and have less knowledge of energy issues.
- - Around 24 per cent favour conservation and developing renewable sources over drilling for oil – they are also willing to pay more to develop renewable energy. Generally they are politically moderate, on higher incomes and more knowledgeable about energy issues.
- - Nineteen per cent can be described as politically moderate, on lower incomes and generally older with limited knowledge and concern about energy issues.
- - Around 17 per cent are climate change doubters who do not consider global warming a problem. They are conservative and support more nuclear power.
