Wind energy remains popular among Americans of all political stripes

It’s no surprise that the popularity of wind energy continues to grow in the United States. A new report from the National Surveys on Energy and Environment once again shows that Americans want more wind energy.

An overwhelming 83 percent of survey respondents support increasing the use of wind energy in their state. The more surprising finding, though, is that 67 percent of those who do not believe in climate change still support increasing wind energy in their state.

Furthermore, among respondents who do not believe climate change occurring, 74 percent say that wind energy creates jobs. These findings underscore that wind power is fundamentally an economic issue; the industry grows and creates jobs regardless of folks’ political convictions.

Take Georgetown, Texas for example: a conservative town within a conservative state. Yet, Georgetown is one of America’s first cities 100 percent powered by renewable energy. The city council determined that wind energy was more cost-effective and reliable compared to oil and gas.

Republican Mayor Dale Ross explains, “This was a business decision and it was a no-brainer.”

Besides keeping electric costs affordable for residents, wind brings jobs and economic development to rural areas like Georgetown. Over 100,000 Americans have wind jobs—more than 22,000 of these in Texas alone.

“Wind is one of the best economic development tools that these states have ever contemplated,” says Jeff Clark, Executive Director of the Wind Coalition. Some have compared the prosperity that wind energy has brought to these rural communities to the railroad boom in the 1800s.

As this report shows, the public wants energy solutions that make economic sense. Americans of all political stripes desire energy that is cost-effective, dependable and provides well-paying jobs across all 50 states.