Two-thirds of voters support policies requiring 30% of our electricity to come from renewable sources
March 1, 2012
Contact:
Keith Reopelle, Senior Policy Director, 608.212.2935 (cell)
MADISON — Nearly nine in 10 Wisconsin voters support increasing the use of wind and solar power to meet our state’s future energy needs, and eight in 10 support ensuring that 30 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources, according to bipartisan polling released today.
“This polling clearly shows that Wisconsin voters overwhelmingly support increasing the use of clean, renewable energy like wind and solar power to meet our energy needs,” said Keith Reopelle, senior policy director at Clean Wisconsin. “Additionally, it shows that Wisconsin voters are frustrated with our lack of progress, and want elected leaders to strengthen policies that expand our use of renewable energy.”
When asked if they would support or oppose increasing the use of a variety of energy sources to meet Wisconsin’s future energy needs, 85 percent of Wisconsin voters said they would support increasing the use of wind energy, while a staggering 89 percent said they would support increasing solar power.
“Wisconsin voters overwhelmingly support increasing the use of wind energy, yet Wisconsin’s Legislature has made it more difficult for businesses like ours to build wind farms in the state,” said Tom Green, Senior manager of project development at Wind Capital Group, Madison. “Building wind farms in Wisconsin will help reduce pollution and create thousands jobs in the domestic energy and manufacturing sectors.”
When asked if they would support or oppose a wide range of energy policies, 84 percent of Wisconsin voters said they would support ensuring that 30 percent of the state’s electricity comes from renewable sources. Currently, Wisconsin only requires that 10 percent of the state’s electricity comes from renewables by 2015.
“Wisconsin voters want more energy to come from clean, renewable sources, like the solar power that comes from panels we produce right here in Milwaukee,” said John Kivlin of Helios Solar Works. “It’s time for our leaders to create jobs, strengthen our economy, and reduce pollution by increasing our commitment to renewable energy.”
The poll was conducted in mid-January by a bipartisan research team comprised of Public Opinion Strategies (R) and Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz and Associates (D) and has a margin of error of +/- 4.9 percent. This polling was done as a part of a nonpartisan candidate education project, which aims to educate candidates for political office about clean energy policies and voters’ perception of clean energy issues. Candidates will have the opportunity to view a more complete set of polling data at meetings which will take place around the state as elections draw nearer.
The state’s technical colleges are hubs of hands-on learning, and Wausau’s Northcentral Technical College has taken that to the next level with the installation of three wind turbines at its Dairyland State Academy, the college’s agricultural teaching center.
