Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Arizonans Support Renewable Energy Says New Poll

Staff
/
KAWC
Solar Panels on the Arizona Western College Campus

Arizonans see opportunity in renewable energy and think government at all levels should respond to climate change.

Those are the findings in a poll released Thursday by the Arizona Public Interest Research Group Education Fund. It showed that nearly 90 percent of likely Arizona voters believe the expansion and use of renewable energy like solar and wind should be a state priority.  Eight in ten say the state should limit the importation of fossil fuels like natural gas and oil in favor of developing its own energy resources.

The statewide poll was conducted by WPA Intelligence, a conservative polling firm out of Washington, D.C. at the direction of Arizona PIRG.

Diane Brown, executive director, says the choice of WPA was intentional.  She tells KAWC the well-respected firm had experience in the state of Arizona working for conservative clients.  “We believed that they were best suited to understand our state and get at some of the findings in a way that would be understandable to policy-makers and the general public,” Brown says.

Hear part of our conversation with Brown below:

Full poll results can be found HERE.  Key Findings include:

Renewable Energy

82% of respondents say very, or somewhat important that the state develop its own clean energy sources like wind and solar. 

Energy Efficiency

68% say regulations applied to utility providers, such as Arizona Public Service, Tucson Electric Power, UNS Energy Corporation, or Salt River Project should be increased to ensure they are offering energy efficiency to all their customers.

Electric Vehicles

57% support investment by utility providers in electric vehicle charging infrastructure acroos the state.  Particularly in underserved communities, such as highway corridors or rural areas, or in areas where the private sector is unlikely to serve or invest.

Navajo Generating Station

83% say it is very, or somewhat, important that the owners of the Navajo Generating Station provide financial assistance and support, such as job training, to communities impacted by the closing of the plant. The Navajo Generating Station is scheduled to end operations by December.

Climate Change

64% think that if the federal government fails to address the issue of climate change, state and local governments have a responsibility to address the problem.

The study has a margin of error of +/- 4.4%. Fifty-four percent (54%) of interviews were fielded via landline, while forty-four percent (44%) from mobile phones.

Lou grew up in Tucson and has a long family history in the state of Arizona. He began his public radio career in 1988 at KNAU in Flagstaff as a classical music DJ and has been hooked on public radio since, transitioning to news after trying his hand at several other careers in publishing and commercial broadcasting. Lou has a degree in American Studies from Arizona State University and was KAWC's Morning Edition host for two and half years before becoming News and Operations Director.
Related Content