A Highly Placed Source

With major pieces of energy-related legislation before Congress, a new study published by The Pert Group illuminates the general public’s views on alternative energy and identifies four key segments that represent the range of opinions among Americans.

The Pert Group’s study is based on 1,005 interviews conducted with a representative cross-section of the American public in September 2009. The survey findings reflect the beliefs and attitudes of the American public regarding:

The ecological, economic and personal benefits and trade-offs of alternative energy and fuel resources
Obstacles associated with specific alternative energy resources, including solar, wind, wave & tide, geothermal, clean coal and nuclear
Obstacles associated with specific alternative fuels, including bio-fuels, natural gas and electric hybrid
Personal willingness to actively support an alternative energy resource
Media the public relies on to understand alternative energy policy and resources

The survey finds that four out of five Americans believe the most compelling reasons for finding alternative energy sources include:

Reducing a national security vulnerability through dependence on foreign oil
Improving the quality of the environment
Helping to create new jobs

But there are other reasons that many Americans endorse alternative energy development, including the development of an energy exporting capacity, lowering the cost of home energy and lowering automobile fuel costs.

“The public’s strong endorsement of moving energy development forward should provide assurances to President Obama and Congress that Americans will rally behind policy proposals to find alternative energy sources,” said Nick Tortorello, senior vice president of The Pert Group, the organization that conducted the study.

Which alternative energy sources are most highly favored by Americans?
The Pert Group survey asked Americans how supportive or opposed they are to developing new energy resources. Public support for the development of solar energy is highest despite the fact that it can be expensive. In addition, the research finds that wind and geothermal alternatives are also well supported by the American public.

Americans are less receptive to the idea of tapping the nation’s natural gas reserve, building more nuclear plants to replace coal and oil, or harvesting more bio-fuels.

“People are clearly distinguishing between the various options for alternative energy,” Tortorello explained. “While public opinion isn’t the only factor, it certainly is something that our elected leaders should consider as they think about developing a winning strategy.”

To learn more about this study, visit www.alternative-energyPOV.com

Americans are Keen on Alternative Energy

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