Peter Walks for Democracy

According to Pew Research Center, majorities of Americans say they support more solar, wind, & nuclear power, making carbon free electricity the preferred source of electricity in the United States. Unsurprisingly, younger people support renewable energy development at a significantly higher rate than people 65+, especially older Republicans. There are important differences in attitudes between Democrats and Republicans, with Democrats maintaining a high level of support for renewables while Republican opinions have declined significantly since the start of the Biden Administration. Additionally, perceptions about the costs and benefits of renewable development in rural America vary as well, namely regarding economic development.

These figures show how complex and fractious public perceptions have become. There is little doubt our divided media environments play a powerful role. Media segmentation and partisan selection bias is driving the unconscious belief that “who I am is more important than what I can know.” The impact is most powerful on the American right which is aging, becoming more reactionary, more prone to disinformation, and more secluded in its media echo chambers.

No matter the perception right now, it’s important that those of us working in or alongside this industry support community-minded development. There is enormous potential for triple-bottom-line benefits at every scale: carbon-free electricity can generate low-cost electricity for local ratepayers, revenue for local governments, and provide jobs, work with the land, for habitat, and for greenhouse gas reduction, and it can support human health and security through reduced pollution burdens. All of that has to be accomplished in each project and communicated clearly with America’s communities.