A recent survey by Applied Materials of 1,000 American adults has found just over two thirds of respondents believe solar power needs to play a bigger role in meeting the nation’s energy needs.
For purposes of the survey, renewable energy was defined as energy generated from sources that are naturally replenished, such as solar power, wind energy, tides and geothermal heat.
75% of those surveyed said that increasing renewable energy and decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil should be the country’s top energy priorities.
While support for solar power has always been strong, the reality of increased electricity costs in the short term has sometimes seen people shy away. However, according to the survey, 67 percent of Americans would be willing to pay more for their electricity if there was a greater contribution of renewable energy in the mix.
49 percent of consumers said they would be willing to pay USD$5 or more each month for an increased amount of renewable energy – a 14 percent increase from the results of Applied Materials’ 2009 survey.
Some of the increase in interest may be attributable to the ongoing BP Gulf Of Mexico oil leak disaster; which has triggered some Americans to give further consideration to the environmental cost of fossil fuels.
According to Dr. Charles Gay, president of Applied Solar, a division of Applied Materials.”With the right energy legislation in place, the U.S. could reap the benefits of one of the biggest economic job engines of this century – the clean energy revolution.”
