Most Californians support the state’s goals for reducing greenhouse gases and the transition to renewable energy sources. But economic and political headwinds are limiting their endorsement of state policies and their participation in the changes needed to achieve these goals.
Key takeaways from the report “Californians and the Energy Transition” published by The Public Policy Institute of California are :
-Majorities of California adults (62%) and likely voters (69%) believe that the effects of climate change have already begun to happen.
-Two-thirds of adults (67%) and likely voters (66%) favor reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030; slightly fewer favor all the state’s electricity to come from renewable energy sources by the year 2045 (62% adults; 60% likely voters).
-However, 59 percent of Californians are not willing to pay more for electricity generated by renewable energy sources. Half or more say that the current price of gasoline (52% adults) and the rising cost of natural gas and electric utility bills (55% adults) is a major problem personally for them.
-Today, fewer Californians believe that actions to reduce climate change will result in more jobs (35%; 45% July 2010) and more think they will result in fewer jobs (32%; 23% in July 2010) in the future.
Access the report here
