Republicans and Democrats alike are installing rooftop solar
Based on Matto Mildenberger, Peter Howe and Chris Miljanich. 2019. “Households with solar installations are ideologically diverse and more politically active than their neighbors.” Nature Energy 4: 1033–1039.
Americans from across the political spectrum are participating in the clean energy transition – and rooftop solar households are more likely to vote than their neighbors without solar.
The Policy Problem
Over the last decade, hundreds of thousands of Americans have installed rooftop solar, joining the clean energy transition at the individual level. Has this behavior been politically polarized? On one hand, clean energy uptake might be partisan, concentrated among Democratic households or households that accept climate science. On the other hand, households could be adopting solar because clean energy makes financial sense, no matter their political leanings or climate beliefs.
Key Findings and Proposed Solutions
Households with solar installations are ideologically and politically diverse
Households with solar rooftops are significantly more likely to vote in both primary and general elections than their neighbors
Americans across the political spectrum are already participating in the clean energy transition - and might be mobilized to defend clean energy