VOTERS LIKE CLEAN ENERGY, CONSERVATIVE GROUP SAYS
Appeared in the Charlotte Observer on May 20, 2016
Renewable energy enjoys broad support among N.C. voters, pollsters for a conservative advocacy group said Friday in Charlotte.
Conservatives for Clean Energy commissioned the poll of 800 voters last month. It found deep support among Democrats and Republicans for solar and wind energy, but less enthusiasm for nuclear power and offshore drilling.
“It shows there continues to be strong support for renewable energy in North Carolina, and that’s driven by the economic benefits and technology, the fact that technology is making our lives better and in a lot of ways making it cheaper,” said Paul Shumaker, a Republican political strategist who presented the poll results in Charlotte.
OUR VIEW: LAWMAKERS NEED TO HEED VOTERS ON RENEWABLES
Appeared in the Fayetteville Observer on May 5, 2016
Liberals love alternative energy and they love government policies that require utilities to use more of it. But it turns out that conservatives love it too. It’s a bipartisan no-brainer.
Well, almost. There are some well-heeled conservative special-interest groups that aren’t alternative energy fans and it appears they have more influence with state lawmakers than they deserve.
A group called Conservatives for Clean Energy recently commissioned a North Carolina poll that found support for alternative energy is strong across the political spectrum – including two-thirds of Republicans. Overall, the poll found support for alternative energy from 86 percent of the voters.
CONSERVATIVE GROUP SAYS N.C. SUPPORT FOR CLEAN ENERGY IS GROWING
Appeared in the Charlotte Business Journal on May 4, 2016
The latest poll on N.C. voter preferences involving energy shows strong support for renewables, declining support for nuclear plant construction and strong opposition to fracking in the state.
The poll also shows strong support for restoring state tax credits for renewable energy and legislation allowing independent producers to sell power directly to customers. Voters overwhelmingly say they would support candidates who advocate these positions, according to the poll.
“North Carolinians, whether Republican, Democrat or Unaffiliated voters, are overwhelmingly in support of increasing the use of clean energy in our state,” says Mark Fleming, president and CEO of Conservatives for Clean Energy, which commissioned the poll and released the results on Monday. “These … results are an important metric and guide for elected officials and candidates running for office regarding voters’ opinions about energy policy and resources in North Carolina.”
POLL FINDS POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR RENEWABLE POWER
Appeared on WRAL on May 3, 2016
State laws and policies that support development of renewable energy have been one of the hottest flashpoints inside North Carolina’s legislative complex, but recent polling shows they should be an issue on which most, if not all, politicians can agree.
More than 86 percent of voters support policies that encourage the development of renewable energy in North Carolina, a poll conducted on behalf of Conservatives for Clean Energy found.
“This is a very unifying, nonpartisan issue,” said Dee Stewart, a political consultant who, along with consultant Paul Shumaker, conducted and analyzed the poll for the group.