GPACE » poll

Nebraska Poll Shows Strong Support for Wind Energy

GPACE — Thu, 20 May 2010 20:04:18 +0000

A new poll finds 79% of Nebraska voters favor requiring large utilities to use renewable energy sources for at least 20% of electricity generated.

Center for Rural Affairs: http://www.cfra.org/10/Nebraska-Wind-Energy-Poll

A newly released poll finds overwhelmingly favorable (94%) impressions of wind power among Nebraska voters and strong majority (79%) support for requiring large electric utilities to use renewable energy sources for at least 20% of the electricity they generate.

Support for a 20% renewable electricity standard extends across all demographic and geographic groups, showing that support for wind energy knows no geographic, political or demographic bounds. From Falls City to Scottsbluff, from Hartington to Imperial, rural and urban, Republican and Democrat, there is overwhelming support for wind energy and more than 3 to 1 support for a 20% renewable electricity standard.

Support among Nebraska voters for the 20% proposal is driven foremost by a concern over rising energy prices (important to 75%) and reducing our dependence on foreign oil (important to 73%). Ninety-one percent of Nebraska voters surveyed believe Nebraska should meet its electricity needs by using renewable energy such as wind power.

The poll results leave no doubt – the vast majority of Nebraskans recognize the economic importance of wind energy development for the entire state and that in rural Nebraska, in particular, there are tremendous economic opportunities for farmers, ranchers and rural communities in Nebraska playing a pivotal role in America’s energy future.

Our Senators Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns will likely have the opportunity to vote this summer on legislation to establish a federal renewable electricity standard similar to the one Nebraskans expressed strong support for in this poll.

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NEW POLL: Kansans want the jobs and national security benefits of federal energy policy

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:52:41 +0000

From the Climate and Energy Project

For a short .pdf of the poll methodology, sample questions, and results, click here.
For the full poll (1.1 MB .pdf), click here.

A new poll shows that Kansans want national energy efficiency and renewable energy standards.

“A federal Renewable Energy Standard would create a magnitude of economic and wind development that would create opportunities for not just this generation of Kansans, but for this century,” said Nancy Jackson, director of the Climate and Energy Project (CEP).

“Improved national security, reliable energy, environmental benefits, economic development – in the very near future, the Kansas congressional delegation can bring home an enormous win for our state.”

Republican polling firm Ayres, McHenry & Associates conducted the survey for CEP. It sampled 600 registered voters randomly across the state between April 26-29.

Highlights:

• By better than a 3 to 1 margin, Kansas voters support a national energy efficiency resource standard (EERS). An EERS would require utilities to help consumers use existing energy resources more wisely.

• Nearly 9 in 10 Kansans believe renewable energy is a path to stronger national security – 88% percent of Kansans find it to be a “persuasive argument” that utilizing renewable energy will strengthen national security.

• By a margin of 5 to 1, voters support a federal Renewable Energy Standard (RES) that would require utilities to generate more energy from sources like wind and solar.

• 8 in 10 voters agree investing in renewables will create more jobs.

• 3 out of 4 Kansans would be willing to pay between $2 and $5 more every month on their energy bill if it means generating more renewable energy.

“Last year a federal RES failed in the Senate by only one vote,” Jackson said. “The Kansas delegation is debating and voting on new versions of this legislation right now, and they can make the difference in Washington.”

According to Jackson, the future economic development of Kansas is at stake.

• Grid operators expect the Southwest Power Pool region to supply as much as 60,000 megawatts of wind energy by 2030, with most production coming from Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Additional studies suggest that the economic impact to Kansas is in the neighborhood of $23 billion and 12,000 jobs by 2030.

• Add manufacturing to support the wind build-out and the numbers get much bigger – one study estimated that if Kansas could capture even 20% of wind manufacturing for in-state wind, wind energy jobs would increase by 48%. Earnings would increase by 65%, and economic output would increase by 81%.

Kansans can enjoy these economic benefits with relatively few costs. A recent Energy Information Administration (EIA) study projects the cost of a national RES to be negligible, especially in states like Kansas that are rich in wind resources.

“Our congressional delegation has the power to deliver a national RES,” said Jackson. “Several bills are in play – all of them good for Kansas.”

“We are counting on our Senators and Representatives to work hard to bring historic economic development to our entire state while keeping Kansans’ bills low and improving our energy security. A national Renewable Energy Standard and Energy Efficiency Standard could achieve all these aims.”

For a short .pdf of the poll methodology, sample questions, and results, click here.
For the full poll (1.1 MB .pdf), click here.
For a .pdf of the press release, click here.

For the EIA study referenced above, click here.
For the ACORE study on Kansas economic potential for renewables development, click here.
For the Southwest Power Pool’s press release on regional cost allocation for transmission lines, click here.

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Poll: Order efficiency, renewables

admin — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:46:24 +0000

From the Topeka Capital-Journal

Results of a new poll announced Wednesday indicate that nearly nine of 10 Kansans believe there are solid arguments supporting the proposition that greater reliance on renewable energy strengthens national security.

The survey conducted for the Climate and Energy Project, a Lawrence organization devoted to advancing remedies in the Midwest to global warming, showed a majority of Kansas registered voters in the polling group support federal renewable energy and national energy efficiency standards.

“A federal renewable energy standard would result in a magnitude of economic and wind development that would create opportunities for, not just this generation of Kansans, but for this century,” said Nancy Jackson, director of the Climate and Energy Project.

She encouraged the Kansas congressional delegation to support legislation on renewable energy and efficiency to improve national security, the environment and economic development.

Senate President Steve Morris, a Hugoton Republican, said the state took a big stride forward with legislation mandating all Kansas utilities generate 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

Lawmakers also approved a mechanism to help small wind- and solar-power producers get that electricity on the grid,he said. New legislation imposes energy efficiency standards for state buildings and on cars purchased by the state.

In exchange, of course, the Legislature and Gov. Mark Parkinson agreed to allow construction of an 895-megawatt coal plant in Holcomb. State regulators had blocked issuance of a permit required for a coal project sought by Sunflower Electric Power Corp., of Hays.

“It’s a major step forward in the quest for a comprehensive energy plan and energy security for the state,” Morris said.

Highlights of the April 26-29 survey of 600 Kansans:

- Eighty-eight percent say greater use of renewalbe energy resources, such as wind and solar, would improve the nation’s security.

- By a 5-to-1 ratio, people in the survey say the federal government should adopt rules requiring utility companies to generate more power from renewable sources.

- Federal energy efficiency standards mandating utility companies help customers make better use of existing energy supplies are supported by a 3-to-1 margin.

- Eighty percent of those in the poll say investing in renewable energy creates jobs.

- Three out of four Kansans would be willing to pay up to $5 more every month on their energy bill if it resulted in expansion of renewable energy.

The survey for the Climate and Energy Project was conducted by the firm of Ayres, McHenry and Associates. It sampled registered votes selected at ramdom from across the state.

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Poll exaggerates

admin — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:59:31 +0000

Letter to the Editor of the Topeka Capital-Journal

The Kansas Chamber of Commerce released a poll recently and claimed there was “overwhelming” support for new coal plants.

The poll, conducted by a partisan Republican firm, indicates 51 percent of the 600 voters surveyed support the construction of a new coal plant while 26 percent oppose it and 23 percent remain undecided on the project. A plus or minus 3.9 percent margin of error was reported.

The support of 51 percent of those surveyed, with a nearly 4 percent margin of error, falls short of a simple majority. At best, half the sample claim to support the plants while nearly one-quarter remain undecided. The Chamber’s claim of “overwhelming” support is a significant exaggeration.

The questions focused on only the economic benefits of coal plants, not the risks of increasing prices of coal, high-carbon electricity, or environmental costs.

In contrast, the Great Plains Alliance for Clean Energy released a poll conducted by bipartisan pollsters with twice the sample size of the Chamber’s poll.

The GPACE poll shows nearly two-thirds of Kansans prefer that the state expand clean, renewable types of energy, such as wind and energy efficiency, over building new coal plants. Further, 88 percent said it is important that Kansas move toward energy independence by developing our natural gas and wind resources.

That looks a lot more like an “overwhelming” majority, especially from bipartisan pollsters with twice the sample size.

We should focus on real solutions for economic growth for our future, rather than working so hard to keep Kansas locked in the past. Let’s move forward.

STEPHANIE COLE, Sierra Club, Overland Park

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Kansans Prefer Wind Power, New Bipartisan Polling Shows

admin — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:08:57 +0000

TOPEKA — As the Kansas Legislature continues to spend time and tax dollars to meet the energy needs of Colorado and Texas and provide economic development for Wyoming, the Kansans they represent are ready to see greater development of the state’s own abundant resources to produce electricity for Kansas and spur economic growth within the state, according to new poll results released today. In a poll conducted in early February for the Great Plains Alliance for Clean Energy (GPACE), nearly two-thirds of Kansans statewide prefer that the state expand clean, renewable types of energy production like wind power and energy efficiency over building new coal burning electric plants (64% wind – 18% coal). The poll also shows that 88% of Kansans feel it is important that Kansas become energy independent by developing natural gas and wind resources that already exist in the state.

Download the detailed results here (PDF).

“Clearly, Kansans are confident that our clean energy resources can help lead our state away from a dependence upon imported fossil fuels and create jobs and investment right here,” said Scott Allegrucci, Director of GPACE. “The economic stimulus bill passed by Congress includes approximately $50 billion to develop renewable energy,” Allegrucci said. “The Kansas Legislature has a choice: Take advantage of federal dollars and leadership to develop Kansas’ native resources, or force Kansans to further support the Wyoming coal industry.”

The poll was conducted for GPACE by a bi-partisan polling team. Public Opinion Strategies has extensive experience polling in Kansas, including work for Republicans Sen. Pat Roberts and Gov. Bill Graves. Hamilton Campaigns has extensive experience polling on energy issues in Delaware, Florida and Louisiana as well as a long history in Kansas dating back to Democratic Gov. John Carlin.

According to the poll, 78% of Kansans also favor net metering, which would allow citizens to generate their own renewable electricity and receive credit for their contributions.

“Kansans are very supportive of real net-metering and energy efficiency, if our legislature would adopt those policies,” Allegrucci said.

“We think our legislative leaders should focus on the needs and the can-do spirit of Kansans instead of trying to force Kansas to generate electricity for Colorado and Texas and send $100 million Kansas dollars to Wyoming each year for more imported coal when we have untapped energy resources right here, right now.”

The poll sampled 800 voters statewide, with a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points; and an additional oversample of 400 that led to 586 total voters in the 1st Congressional District, with a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points. (See attached memo for additional details.)

GPACE is a Kansas non-partisan, non-profit organization that supports a clean, secure, prosperous energy economy benefiting more Kansas businesses, farms, communities, and all future Kansans.

# # #

Download the detailed results here (PDF).

UPDATE 3-26-09

The Chamber of Commerce has released a poll claiming that Kansans support coal. It is clearly flawed in a number of ways:

The Chamber poll was conducted by a partisan Republican firm – the GPACE poll was conducted by a bipartisan team including a Democrat and a Republican polling firm.
The Chamber poll sampled only half as many Kansans as the GPACE poll.
The Chamber has been saying all along that they are not pushing for a single coal plant, but rather are interested in “regulatory certainty.” Why then was their poll focused only on the coal plant?
If the coal plants enjoy such widespread public support, why is renewable energy policy for the entire state being held hostage in order to secure votes for the coal plants?
Speaker O’Neil is holding renewable energy policy for the entire state hostage, even as he pushed a clean vote on economic incentives to help attract a wind turbine manufacturer to his district. That bill passed the House 125-0. Why is the Speaker punishing the rest of the state by playing politics with renewable energy policy, at the same time as he is using tax dollars to bring the benefits of the renewable energy economy to his district? And he does this, even as he is publicly quoted in the Lawrence Journal World today saying that wind energy is “not a doable, possible scenario in our lifetime and probably not in our children’s lifetime.”

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