Americans Like Idea of Solar Power, Plurality Say It Is More Reliable Than Fossil Fuels

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• More than 7 in 10 voters (72%) say that it is at least Somewhat Important for the U.S. to increase the amount electricity produced using solar power so that solar energy meets a major portion of U.S. energy needs.
  • This includes 36% who say it is Very Important.
  • Majorities of Republicans (63%) and Democrats (87%) say that it is at least Somewhat Important.
• A smaller, but solid, majority (59%) believe it is at least Somewhat Likely that solar energy will meet a major portion of U.S. energy needs in the next 25 years or so.
  • One third (33%) disagree.
  • These totals include 22% who say it is Very Likely and 10% who say it is Not At All Likely.
  • Again, majorities of both parties agree on this issue.
• However, as discussed elsewhere, Americans support increasing the use of solar power, until it hits their pocketbooks.
  • Part of this is due to the fact that just 42% of Americans are convinced solar power is more reliable than fossil fuels, while 36% disagree.
  • Those numbers include 15% who call solar power Much More Reliable, but 17% who call it Much Less Reliable.
• As Scott Rasmussen noted, “The minute you put tradedoffs into the mix, climate change loses to everything.”

This data is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, February 9-10, 2026. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the field work for the survey. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.