As Democratic presidential candidates head to Houston, Texas for the next debate this Thursday, we are pleased to share the results of our new poll of registered voters in the state, conducted in partnership with Yale and Climate Nexus. We find that Texas voters support a broad array of policies to address climate impacts and shift the state from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and they want their elected officials to support those policies as well.
Despite the state’s roots in the fossil fuel industry, most Texans support policies to accelerate the transition to clean, renewable energy. Two-thirds (67%) of Texas voters say developing more renewable energy sources should be the most important priority for addressing Texas’s energy needs, significantly more than those who say building more natural gas (12%) or nuclear (7%) power plants should be the top priority. Additionally, seven in 10 (70%) Texas voters support a 100% renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) in Texas, including nearly four in 10 (38%) who strongly support such a policy. Majorities of Texas voters believe a 100% RPS in Texas will benefit the state’s environment (76%), bring down electricity costs (64%), improve the economy (62%), and have a positive impact on rural and farming communities (60%).
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Texas voters support government action to address climate change, including more than one-third (36%) who strongly support it. Majorities are also more likely to support candidates who are in favor of specific policies to address climate change, such as extending government funding for renewable energy (74%), establishing a national renewable portfolio standard requiring 100% of electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2050 (66%), setting stronger fuel efficiency standards for vehicles (66%), and requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a tax on their carbon pollution (64%).