Issue: Utilities

This post includes a roundup of climate + environment headlines from this week’s public polls, good data points to highlight, and a full roundup including key takeaways from each poll.
HEADLINES

Navigator – There is stable majority support for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework, and voters increasingly recognize infrastructure as a priority for Biden and Congress (Topline)
Data for Progress + Invest in America – Details boost support for the reconciliation proposal; school modernization, grid modernization, and long-term care investments are especially popular (Release, Topline)
Fox News + POLITICO/Morning Consult – Reactions to the reconciliation package are heavily dependent on framing; voters have a mixed reaction to $3.5 trillion in “social infrastructure” from Democrats in Congress but widely support $3.5 trillion in “spending to address climate change, health care, and childcare” (Fox News Release, POLITICO/Morning Consult Topline, POLITICO/Morning Consult Crosstabs)
Quinnipiac – Most Americans believe recent extreme weather events are related to climate change; concerns about extreme weather are driven sharply by partisanship and geography (Release)
Data for Progress – Voters support ending fossil fuel subsidies, especially when subsidies are framed as unnecessary “bailouts” for hugely profitable corporations (Release, Topline)

This post includes a roundup of climate + environment headlines from this week’s public polls, good data points to highlight, and a full roundup including key takeaways from each poll.
HEADLINES

Climate Power + LCV – Investments in clean energy, climate action, and environmental justice bolster support for the reconciliation bill; the most persuasive messages focus on economic aspects including how the bill will lower costs for households (Slide Deck)
Climate Power + Data for Progress – Voters support a range of climate-related proposals that were left out of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, especially clean electricity incentives, investments in energy efficiency, and investments in solar and wind (Release, Memo, Topline)
POLITICO + Morning Consult – Voters continue to back the bipartisan infrastructure bill, especially investments in roads, bridges, and water infrastructure; voters are more split on the reconciliation package, but overwhelmingly support expanded home care for the elderly and disabled (Topline, Crosstabs)
Data for Progress – Voters think that oil and gas companies have too much power, especially after learning about comments made by a senior Exxon lobbyist; “oil and gas companies” are a more compelling villain than “fossil fuel companies” (Release, Topline)
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication + George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication – Petition signing is the most appealing ask to get voters involved in climate advocacy, and there is clear interest in community preparedness groups (Summary, Full Report)

Virginia voters favor solar and wind energy and feel modestly toward nuclear and natural gas. In this July 2021 survey found that 55% of Virginians think that more emphasis should be placed on solar energy. 45% feel the same about wind energy, 38% about natural gas, 37% about nuclear, and 23% about coal. 61% of Virginians agree with an “all the above” energy strategy that prioritizes clean energy. 60% support requiring Virginia utilities to participate in a regional transmission system aimed at “prompting reliability and price-control measures for consumers.” 62% support the major Virginia clean energy law (the “Virginia Clean Energy Economy Act”). Mostly, liberal and Democratic voters significantly support all these things, and conservative and Republican voters are somewhat split on these measures.

Voters across the country—in both blue and red states—support the federal government moving the country to 100% clean electricity. This resource displays survey results per state and congressional district. There is considerable support from swing states that are targets for the 2022 midterms, like Arizona (62%), Georgia (60.8%), and Pennsylvania (64%). Clean energy is even popular in traditional fossil fuel states and Republican strongholds. Support for moving to 100% clean electricity by 2035 breaks 60% in states like Texas (60.8%), Indiana (60.1%), and Iowa (62%), with other traditionally red states like Missouri (59.9%), Mississippi (59.3%) and Alabama (58.5%) not far behind. Meanwhile, support for clean energy in blue states like California and Hawaii soars upward of 73%. This resource lists some common GOP talking points against 100% clean electricity that can be useful for advocates to be ready to innoculate voters against. 

The concept of a “just transition” has permeated mainstream discourse, yet those who will likely be most impacted by the energy transition – frontline workers and their communities – have mostly been excluded from the conversation. This report, derived from over 100 listening sessions and interviews with workers and frontline community members, encourages policymakers to:

Go Big: Be guided by a just transition vision that is ambitious and comprehensive in order to address the scope of impacts for affected communities and industries. Job creation, labor standards, and workers’ rights must be included.
Go Wide: Impacts from economic transitions can be felt in a number of ways, from financial to social to psychological. Policymakers should engage with existing social infrastructure such as labor unions, frontline community groups, and Indigenous nations to make sure support is readily available.
Go Far: While the climate crisis is urgent, just transition plans must not be fixated on the short-term. Instead, policymakers should include long-term commitments to workers and their communities as part of their vision and take into account differences in generational needs between older, established workers and those just entering the workforce.

In addition, the report addresses how labor and advocacy organizations need to develop authentic, trusting relationships with each other to build political and policy alignment around just transition goals. One way to start is to establish and expand internal committees and capacities to understand each other’s issues and perspectives.