Nearly eight in 10 adult Californians (78%) support more federal funding to develop wind, solar, and hydrogen technology, according to new survey data released this weel.
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) finding was part of broader polling on Californians’ attitudes about environmental issues such as global warming, the Keystone pipeline and energy policy.
PPIC said "overwhelming majorities" of Californians have expressed support for more investment in clean technology since it began asking the question in 2008.
In this year’s survey, support for increasing funding for wind, solar, and hydrogen technology is seen across the political parties: Democrats (86%); independents (79%) and Republicans (57%).
A state law passed in 2011 calls for a third of California’s electricity to come from renewable energy sources by 2020. Strong majorities of California adults (76%) and likely voters (69%) favor this law, PPIC said.
“Californians want to see government action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but their strong support for clean energy policies diminishes if they have to pay higher electricity bills or gas prices," Mark Baldassare, PPIC president and CEO, said in a statement.
Download the full report, "Californians and the Environment," at the PPIC website.
