Voters seek a balanced approach to energy and the environment
The Big Picture
While energy and the environment often dominate political discourse, polling suggests that these issues are not at the top of most Americans' priority lists. Only 4% of registered voters nationwide identify energy and the environment as the most pressing issue facing the country today.
Notably, voters who do prioritize this issue skew heavily Democratic. However, when energy and environmental concerns are separated into distinct categories, significant bipartisan agreement emerges.
Zooming In
Rising energy costs unite voters
When asked whether their household energy bills had changed over the past year, majorities across party lines reported the same experience—higher energy costs.
This finding is important because energy affordability is not a partisan issue. As independents continue to grow as a share of the electorate, issues like these—where majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and independents agree—present a real opportunity for solutions that can achieve broad support.
Climate change acknowledgment
Despite political differences, most voters agree on the existence of climate change and humanity’s role in accelerating it. When asked, majorities across party lines said they believe human actions contribute to climate change.
- Democrats were the most likely to say yes (by a 26-point margin over Republicans).
- Republicans, while less convinced, still had a majority acknowledging climate change’s human causes.
- Opposition to this view is relatively low, with only 32% of Republicans, 19% of independents, and 7% of Democrats saying “no.”
This shared recognition provides a strong foundation for finding common ground on policy solutions.
Finding the right candidate
When asked what type of candidate they would support on energy and environmental issues, voters were presented with three options:
- A liberal candidate who supports expanded government funding for pollution and emissions elimination.
- A moderate candidate who recognizes climate change but supports solutions that give individuals choices.
- A conservative candidate who opposes government spending aimed at curbing climate change.
By a narrow plurality, voters preferred the moderate approach.
- Independents and Republicans leaned toward the moderate candidate over the conservative one.
- Democrats also leaned toward the moderate candidate rather than the more liberal one.
This suggests that a balanced approach—one that acknowledges climate change while emphasizing personal choice in solutions—is most broadly appealing to the electorate.
To further analyze voter sentiment, we assigned a numerical value to each candidate’s stance—1 for liberal, 2 for moderate, and 3 for conservative—and averaged the responses by voter group.
- Independents and voters overall gravitated toward the moderate stance.
- Democrats leaned toward the moderate approach rather than the liberal one.
- Republicans also leaned toward the moderate candidate over the conservative one.
This data suggests that the best approach for elected officials is one that recognizes climate change while emphasizing flexibility in solutions rather than government-mandated policies.
Data Snapshot
- Only 4% of voters rank energy and the environment as their top issue.
- A majority across party lines say their household energy costs have increased.
- Most voters agree that human actions contribute to climate change.
- Voters favor a “middle-of-the-road” candidate on energy and environmental issues over extreme policy approaches.
Independent Lens
The data is clear: voters do not support political extremes on energy and the environment. Instead, the most appealing approach recognizes climate change while emphasizing personal choice in solutions.
This presents a real opportunity for independent-minded leaders. While partisans often take all-or-nothing stances—either demanding sweeping government intervention or opposing any climate-related spending—most Americans prefer something in between.
Voters are looking for pragmatic leadership on this issue. Elected officials who focus on energy affordability while supporting practical, market-based environmental solutions will likely find strong bipartisan support.
Independents hold the power to shape this conversation. Join us in exploring common-sense, bipartisan (or tripartisan) policies on energy and the environment. Get involved here.
