Americans Want Solar Power Says New Gallup Poll

The signs have shown that Americans are ready for solar energy in a big way for a while. The price of a home goes up when residential solar panels are installed. Job growth in the solar industry continues to expand. And major U.S. cities are putting themselves on the map for their solar energy initiatives.

Now, a new Gallup poll shows that a majority of Americans want the country to emphasize producing renewable energy sources.

Solar Power Poll Results

According to the Gallup poll, two in three Americans want the U.S. to produce more domestic energy — 76 percent want to use solar power, while 71 percent want wind power, and 65 percent want to use natural gas. Less than the majority want to use oil or nuclear power, and the least favored is coal, with only about a third of Americans wanting to prioritize it.

It seems obvious that Democrats and independents are behind solar power, while natural gas is first for Republicans. However, 68 percent of Republicans still said they want to see an emphasis on solar in the first place.

The main difference is not necessarily a disagreement over other energy sources. That argument seems to be at rest, as so many want to see other energy domestically produced. Yet those living in the South are more supportive of traditional energy sources like oil and coal than other parts of the U.S.. Conversely, Americans in every region, including Southern states, chose solar power as the top choice to get behind.

Where Americans live makes a difference in their views about which sources of domestic energy they want the U.S. to emphasize more. Those living in the South tend to be more supportive of traditional energy sources such as oil and coal than are those in other regions.

What The Poll Means for Solar Energy

With such rampant public support on the national level, there’s never been a better time to push through even greater solar energy initiatives. There is a real opportunity to accelerate economic growth by fully using solar power, wind power, and other renewable energy sources in a domestic capacity.

Although Americans cannot seem to reach a more specific consensus on which way to optimize domestic energy, there is a clear call for more emphasis on solar and wind across multiple political and socioeconomic groups.

Given that solar federal tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2016, now is a great time to beat the drum and secure a solar future in this country. These tax credits have gone a long way towards solar investment, along with a growth in solar jobs and general awareness of how ordinary homeowners can reduce their energy bill by installing solar panels on their roof.

Poll data, of course, should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, it’s promising that Americans are clearly on board for solar.

What do you think of the poll results? Tell us in the comments!