U.S. Energy Perceptions: 2023 SPEER Survey Findings

Abstract

Using an online survey, we analyze important predictors of energy preference for both fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. This report provides new insights and confirms findings from earlier studies on energy preferences. Our results support previous research that highlights politics as a crucial determinant of energy preferences among Americans. Additionally, we find that religious factors and individual demographics play significant roles. Additionally, we find that religious factors and individual demographics play significant roles. Political affiliation, ideology, religious beliefs, gender, and biblical literalism strongly influence attitudes towards various energy sources. Conservatives, Republicans, women, and biblical literalists generally show less support for renewable energies and greater support for fossil fuels. These findings suggest that targeted communication strategies addressing gender specific concerns and engaging with religious communities, particularly those with literal interpretations of scripture, could be effective in promoting the energy transition. We conclude with a discussion on the importance of this research for motivating social science scholarship on energy preference.