Republican support for solar falls 17 percent since 2016, but it still is more favorable than fracking

A June 2023 poll from Pew Research Center found that support for solar panels among Republicans has fallen by 17 percent since 2016. Support for wind saw a 20 percent decline over the same seven-year time period, marking the lowest point ever for this technology.

Despite its 17 percent decline, solar is still more favorable than hydraulic fracturing, the game-changing technology that has transformed America into the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the world. In fact, in 2023, the United States produced more oil than any country has ever produced, according to federal government statistics.

Hydraulic fracturing has also made the U.S. the largest natural gas producer ever. In 2020, I wrote that this development is likely saving Minnesota households hundreds of dollars every winter on their home heating bills.

Another interesting takeaway from the poll is the partisan split over nuclear power. Both Republicans and Democrats have warmed to nuclear over the last several years, with 67 percent of Republicans supporting it, up 16 percent from 2016, and 50 percent of Democrats supporting it, up 12 points from 2016.

Lastly, it’s interesting to see how low Democrat support is for any fossil fuel development, with only 25 percent supporting offshore drilling, 23 percent supporting fracking, and 16 percent supporting coal mining. To me, this suggests that liberals do not actually believe in an “all of the above” strategy, they believe in wind and solar, and nuclear if they have to.