Turning a coal state to a green state: Identifying themes of support and opposition to decarbonize the energy system in the United States

• Published in: Energy research & social science 2021-12, Vol.82, p.102292, Article 102292
• Main Authors: Miniard, Deidra, Attari, Shahzeen Z.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Climate change; Energy transition; Indiana; Partisan differences; Perceptions; Public opinion
• ISSN: 2214-6296; 2214-6326
• DOI: 10.1016/j.erss.2021.102292

Decarbonizing the energy system is necessary to address climate change, yet the transition to low-carbon energy resources has been slow, and climate change continues to be a politically polarizing issue in the United States. Past research has shown that people want a future energy mix that is decarbonized but disagree on the policies to get there (Miniard et al., 2020). How do residents of Indiana, a historically Republican state which primarily relies on fossil fuel resources, think about the current and future energy mix and energy policy at the state level? We surveyed and interviewed Indiana residents (N = 48) to identify the motivations and perceptions driving their preferences for energy resources and support or opposition to state and federal energy policies. We find that a majority of participants want a decarbonized state energy mix in 2050 that primarily relies on solar and wind and decreases the use of fossil fuels. Support for decarbonization is driven by themes of protecting the environment and public health, reducing pollution, improving the economy, using low cost and available resources, and holding polluters accountable. We find that climate change is not a strong motivating factor. In contrast, opposition to decarbonization is driven by economic and employment concerns, fear, lack of familiarity, doubting the feasibility of renewable sources, and concerns about fairness. Thus, participants have nuanced reasons driving their support or opposition to decarbonizing the Indiana energy system, which are dependent on the energy source and policy and are not tied to climate change.