Clean-energy issues have prompted a lot of debate at the Ohio Statehouse for years. Opposition has mostly come from Republicans, while Democrats have supported incentives for the industry. Now, a clean-energy group has new data that they say will change the discussion.
The Ohio Conservative Energy Forum is pointing to a poll that shows conservative voters are 36 percent more likely to vote for someone who supports energy efficiency and increases the use of renewables.
'If a candidate ... wants to really champion these issues, we're seeing no pushback whatsoever.'
Lori Weigel is with Public Opinion Strategies, the group that conducted the poll. It's the same group used by Republicans running for the House and Senate.
“If a candidate wants to espouse these views and wants to really champion these issues, we’re seeing no pushback whatsoever. And again, this is just among conservative voters so when you open that up to the broader spectrum of the electorate, it’s even more of a positive.”
Weigel says those polled still show support for coal, but a majority is against any bailouts for struggling power plants.
