Renewable
energy is common ground for Democrats and Republicans
Washington State
University
As the battle lines are drawn for next month's hotly contested midterm elections, some Americans may be comforted to know there is at least one area of common ground for Democrats and Republicans.
Regardless of
political standing, age or gender, U.S. voters are in favor of renewable
energy, according to research by Christine Horne, professor of sociology at
Washington State University.
Horne and Emily
Kennedy, a former WSU sociology professor now at the University of British
Columbia, are the authors of a new study in the journal Environmental
Politics that shows while conservatives and liberals tend to disagree
on many environmental issues, they both view the development of solar power and
other forms of renewable energy as financially savvy and a step towards
self-sufficiency.
The research identifies an area where policymakers on both sides of the aisle could work together. It also could have important implications for utility companies and other businesses involved in the manufacture and sale of renewable energy technologies.
"I think anyone
who is paying attention to our current political climate might be interested to
see there is an area of common ground," Horne said. "Marketing
renewable energy as a way to be more self-sufficient is a message that would
appeal to both liberals and conservatives."
Bipartisan support for
renewables
Support for renewable
energy has been growing steadily across the U.S. in recent years. A 2016 study
by the Pew Research Center found 83 percent of conservative Republicans and 97
percent of liberal Democrats favor solar farms. Conservative states are also as
likely to support renewable energy and energy efficiency policies as liberal
states, according to a 2016 study led by researchers at Vanderbilt University.
While support for
renewable energy among Democrats is largely thought to stem from environmental
concerns, the reasoning behind Republicans' support is less well understood.
To better understand
support for renewable energy among both conservatives and liberals, Horne and Kennedy
conducted in-person interviews at the homes of 64 registered Democrats and
Republicans across Washington state.
The researchers asked
study participants about their views on people who had solar panels or who
engaged in other pro-environmental behaviors and their own interest in
installing solar panels.
The team also
conducted a larger, nationally representative online survey that asked
participants about their views of a family in their neighborhood that recently
installed solar panels on their home.
Funding for the
research was provided by the National Science Foundation and a WSU New Faculty
Seed Grant.
Financially wise use
of resources
Rather than seeing
renewable energy as tightly bound to environmentalism, the study's conservative
respondents were more likely to view it as financially wise and a good use of
resources, Horne's team found.
For instance, Ted, a
conservative interviewed in the study, said he thinks very highly of people who
have solar panels on their home and assumes they are smart, frugal and
self-sufficient.
When asked if he thinks these people may be concerned about the environment, Ted responded, "I think if people thought to put solar panels on their roof, they would not think that was helping the environment at all. They would think that was helping them financially, because they're not paying a power bill."
When asked if he thinks these people may be concerned about the environment, Ted responded, "I think if people thought to put solar panels on their roof, they would not think that was helping the environment at all. They would think that was helping them financially, because they're not paying a power bill."
Democrats interviewed
in the study also viewed renewable energy as financially smart and contributing
to self-sufficiency.
However, unlike their
Republican counterparts, the Democrats strongly linked renewable energy with
environmental protection, reducing carbon emissions and helping other people.
When asked if she
feels responsible for reducing her personal environmental impact, Caitlyn, a
Democrat, responded:
"Because I enjoy
being out in nature, I think everyone else should be able to enjoy it. I think
our kids, and our kids' kids and everyone should have the same benefits...that
we are afforded right now. I think that they should all be afforded that as
well, if not even more than we have right now."
Implications
The research helps
explain how politically polarized attitudes about the environment can exist
alongside bipartisan support for renewable energy. It also suggests that
efforts to encourage Republicans to invest in solar may be more effective if
they emphasize self-sufficiency.