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M E M O R A N D U M
TO: Interested PartiesFROM: U.S. Climate Task ForceHart Research AssociatesFuture 500DATE: December 1, 2009RE: National Poll Findings On Energy And Climate Change Policy 
On behalf of the U.S. Climate Task Force and Future 500, Hart Research Associatesconducted a national survey among registered voters on issues related to U.S. energy and climate change policy. The survey was conducted by telephone from August 24 to31, 2009 among 1,002 registered voters. The margin of error for the overall findings is±3.2 percentage points and is higher for specific subgroups.
Key Findings
Overwhelmingly, voters believe that U.S. energy policy needssignificant reform, and broad support exists for an energy proposalaimed at meaningfully reducing carbon emissions and increasing theuse of renewable and alternative energy sources.
Fully two in three (66%) U.S. voters feel that the country’s energy policymust be modified significantly, including 19% who say a “completeoverhaul” is needed, and 47% who feel that “major reform” is needed.Support for significant reform is shared broadly and includes a majority of voters in every major demographic audience as well as across partisanand geographic lines.
Strong and broad support exists for policies that focus on reducing carbonemissions associated with climate change and increasing the use of renewable energy sources; in fact, 74% of voters overall say that theywould favor a measure with these specific objectives, including fully 49%who say they
strongly 
favor this type of proposal. Importantly, there isrobust consensus on this point with a majority of all key audiencessupporting energy policies that pursue these goals, including strongmajorities of Republicans (59%) and voters who describe themselves asnot having strong feelings about environmental goals or environmentalism(61%).
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Within the Beltway, many are familiar with the debate over specificenergy policy approaches to deal with climate change. However,this dialogue has not reached voters who are neither familiar norfluent with the details, or even the basic terms associated withparticular legislative approaches; the dynamics of this legislativediscussion have yet to be defined and played out among the Americanelectorate.
Fewer than one in 10 (9%) voters says that they have heard a lot about aproposal to reduce carbon emissions commonly referred to as “cap andtrade,” while more than one in three (35%) freely admits that they havenever heard the term before; an additional one in four (26%) says theyhave heard of a “cap and trade” proposal but know very little about it.
Similarly, awareness of a “carbon tax” approach to energy policy isextremely thin, with just 8% of voters saying they have heard a lot aboutit and 57% saying they either have never heard the term (31%) or knowvery little about it (26%).
When voters are presented with balanced descriptions of both a capand trade approach and a carbon tax approach to energy andclimate change policy, they clearly and consistently prefer a carbontax approach. Notably, this preference is broadly shared among adiverse array of audiences and holds up across partisan and geographicdivides.
After being given a fair and accurate explanation of the key elements of each proposal, voters express considerably greater support for a carbontax approach; in fact, by 20 percentage points (57% favor, 37% oppose)voters say they would support a carbon tax plan. By comparison, initialreaction to a cap and trade plan is much less favorable and garners anevenly divided reaction, with 46% of voters saying they would supportsuch a plan and 46% saying they would oppose it.
When voters are asked to choose between the two approaches, theyprefer a carbon tax approach over a cap and trade approach by a decisive58% to 27% (+31). Importantly, this preference for a carbon taxapproach holds up across the electorate, including among Democrats,independents, and Republicans, voters in every income bracket, voters ineach region of the country, voters who consider themselves strongenvironmentalists as well as those who do not, voters who are mostclosely following this debate, and those who are not yet familiar with it.
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Voters’ Preference For Carbon Tax ApproachOver Cap And Trade Approach
Favor CarbonTax ApproachFavor Cap AndTrade ApproachDifferential(Support ForCarbon TaxApproach)% % ±Democrats
66 30 +36
Independents
58 23 +35
Republicans
46 26 +20
Obama voters
67 30 +37
McCain voters
50 29 +21
Northeast
55 30 +25
South
62 21 +41
Midwest
53 33 +20
West
57 29 +28
HH Income: Less than$40K
63 24 +39
HH Income: $40K to$75K
58 29 +29
HH Income: More than$75K
55 27 +28
Strongenvironmentalists
68 23 +45
Moderateenvironmentalists
62 28 +34
Non-environmentalists
45 30 +15
Most aware of policydebate
43 11 +32
Moderately aware of policy debate
57 24 +33
Least aware of policydebate
61 32 +28
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