October 18, 2010 07:44 PM UTC

Support for Clean Energy a Benefit, Not a Hindrance, for Candidates

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• by: Colorado Pols

The National Resources Defense Council released polling results today showing that voters think favorably of congressional candidates who support clean energy legislation.

This is interesting news, particularly in CD-4 here in Colorado, where Rep. Betsy Markey has been attacked in Republican ads for voting for last summer’s comprehensive energy bill. According to polling results, a majority of voters are supportive of those efforts:

Voters from Connecticut to California and Michigan to Florida are more likely to support candidates who support an energy bill that cuts climate change pollution, based on new poll results released today.

New surveys by Public Policy Polling (PPP) for the NRDC Action Fund from 23 key Congressional Districts show that voters favor a clean energy plan that creates jobs and limits climate change pollution by an average of 52 percent.

Voters supported clean energy legislation and by a clear majority in 21 out of 23 races, with two races in a statistical tie.  Moreover, they were more likely to support candidates who supported such a bill by an impressive 20-point spread…

…The NRDC Action Fund selected these districts based on ratings from independent analysts that showed these incumbents were in close races and because the outcome of these contests could determine which party will control the House of Representatives.  

“Our poll presented our opposition’s main, misleading talking point – that a climate bill is akin to an energy tax,” said Heather Taylor-Miesle,NRDC Action Fund director “Voters overwhelmingly rejected this idea in favor of a bill that creates millions of new jobs, reduces our use of foreign oil, holds corporate polluters accountable and cuts the pollution that causes climate change.The poll results challenge political spin which says a ‘yes’vote on ACES will hurt candidates running for re-election. The results show that clean energy and cutting pollution are actually issues voters support”