A new Gallup poll released Wednesday showed that support for wind and solar energy has slipped, with a majority still favoring those energy alternatives.
The poll found that 66 percent of Americans prefer the U.S. to put more emphasis on solar energy and 55 percent prefer the same with wind energy. Both dropped from Gallup’s previous polling on the question in 2021, when 73 percent preferred emphasis on solar and 66 percent preferred emphasis on wind.
Gallup also found that keeping emphasis on solar energy the same was at 17 percent, while those preferring less emphasis reached 16 percent. Twenty percent prefer the same emphasis on wind energy, and almost a quarter of respondents prefer less emphasis.
Nuclear energy saw a rise in support to 46 percent. Gallup called this “notable given that preferences for nuclear energy had historically been more evenly divided among responses of more, less and the same.”
Natural gas saw a plurality opinion at 42 percent but was down from 49 percent in 2021. The poll showed that 22 percent prefer less emphasis on natural gas, and 37 percent say they prefer the emphasis to stay the same.
Support for coal dropped with 23 percent preferring more emphasis, while 34 percent preferred more emphasis on oil. The poll saw a slight uptick in those who favor less emphasis on both, with 50 percent saying they prefer less emphasis on coal and 37 percent favoring less emphasis on oil.
Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents voiced more emphasis on solar and wind energy, at 87 percent and 81 percent, respectively. This greatly contrasted from the preferences of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, with 38 percent calling for more emphasis on solar power and 22 percent favoring more attention on wind.
“Republicans’ preferences for more emphasis on solar and wind have declined considerably since 2019, to their lowest points this year,” pollsters said.
Majorities of Republicans prefer more emphasis on natural gas, oil and nuclear power at 59 percent, 54 percent and 52 percent, respectively.
Over half of Americans oppose the construction of a nuclear power plant in their area, with 19 percent who somewhat oppose it and 34 percent who strongly oppose it. Forty-five percent say they would favor it.
Most men say they support the construction of a nuclear power plant in their area, at 60 percent. Just over half that number among women say they support it, at 31 percent. Gallup found that 67 percent of women disapprove of the idea, while 38 percent of men oppose it.
More Republicans than Democrats back the idea of a nuclear power plant in their area, at 59 percent compared to 40 percent. Forty percent of Republicans oppose the idea, with 59 percent of Democrats who also oppose it.
The Gallup survey was conducted March 2-18 and included 1,000 respondents. The margin of error is 6 percentage points.
