A new poll asked the question:
To reduce dependency on imported energy, which of the following should the government focus on in the years to come?
The highest polling answer? Solar.
And the least favorite option was nuclear, probably due to the fact that Europe doesn’t have a drilling-ANWR-option (PDF) to occupy that rung.
Solar enjoys similar levels of support in the U.S. This past summer we used the well-respected Field Poll to gauge support for California’s Million Solar Roofs initiative, and found 77% of Californians gave it the green light — and that’s without explaining the benefits.
That’s political capital. In the months leading up to the California Public Utilities Commission’s vote on the 11-year, $3.2 billion solar incentive program, we helped organize a demonstration of the popular mandate, and over 50,000 Californians emailed the Commission in support. 50,000 may sound modest — until you consider that that’s one in a thousand Californians (if one were to correct for literacy, internet access, etc., the number becomes even more impressive). The CPUC received more emails on this than on any other subject in their history, including the 2001 energy crisis.
Most importantly, when the only poll that really counts was taken, the measure passed 3-1.
