2024 Data for Climate Progress Wrapped

Welcome back to Data for Climate Progress — your one-stop shop for all things climate at Data for Progress.

Catherine Fraser

Grace Adcox

, and

Eva Brungard

Dec 19, 2024

Welcome back to Data for Climate Progress — your one-stop shop for all things climate at Data for Progress. In our final climate newsletter of the year, we are thrilled to reveal our 2024 Data for Climate Progress Wrapped. Thank you for following DFP’s climate team here — we look forward to sharing more climate updates in 2025.

As always, we’d love to hear from you — drop us (Grace Adcox and Catherine Fraser) a line at gracea@dataforprogress.org and catherine@dataforprogress.org. Forwarded this email? You can subscribe below.

DFP x Environmental Polling Consortium

This month, Data for Progress’ Grace Adcox and Eva Brungard presented to environmental advocates at the Environmental Polling Consortium’s quarterly briefing. We shared findings from our recent survey on public perceptions of residential solar panels, highlighting the gap between consumer interest in rooftop solar and personal adoption. Our findings suggest that consumer education about the financial incentives and cost savings associated with solar can lower the most significant barrier to adoption – its high upfront installation costs.

Screenshot of Eva Brungard presenting at EPC briefing — *DFP’s Eva Brungard presents at the Environmental Polling Consortium.*

2024 Data for Climate Progress Wrapped

Data for Climate Progress Your one-stop shop for all things climate at Data for Progress, hosted monthly by Grace Adcox and Catherine Fraser. Our 2024 Climate Wrapped Twenty-four things we learned from our climate public opinion research this year.

Graphic with four facts from 2024: 1) With Sen. Markey, we found that the American Climate Corps is overwhelmingly popular across age and political party, and supported by 71% of voters. 2) In polling and focus groups with Service Year Alliance, young Americans said that gaining general work experience, earning a living wage, and protecting the planet for future generations are some of the top reasons why they would be interested in joining the American Climate Corps. 3) Two years after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, 71% of voters continued to say they support the law. 4) With Climate Power, we found that 65% of Latino voters agree with a statement saying the U.S. needs a president committed to addressing climate change and extreme weather.

Graphic with three facts from 2024: 1) To ensure landowners and community members would benefit from CO2 pipeline development and reduce community opposition to the project, Tallgrass entered a community benefits agreement to offer more options for easement payment to landowners hosting the pipeline. 2) Through expert interviews and document analysis with World Resources Institute, we found Detroit’s community benefits ordinance has started to level the playing field between communities and developers by giving community members a seat at the table in conversations on development. 3) With the World Resources Institute, we launched a new database that catalogues publicly available project agreements, like community benefits, host community, and project workforce agreements.

Graphic with five facts from 2024: 1) Voters viewed big corporations generally (30%) and oil and gas companies specifically (28%) as the actors most responsible for causing climate change in the U.S. 2) 68% of Democrats said they'd support criminal charges against the fossil fuel industry to hold it accountable for deaths caused by its contributions to climate change. 3) Voters reported that they support lawmakers taking a number of proposed actions to prevent oil and gas companies from polluting fenceline communities. 4) Two-thirds of likely voters said they support a bill to make polluters pay to confront the climate crisis, including half of Republican voters (50%). 5) With Farm Forward, we found three-quarters of Michigan voters (73%) support making polluters pay for damages from climate disasters, like wildfires, droughts, and floods.

Graphic with three facts from 2024: 1) With the National Wildlife Federation, we found strong majorities of Wyoming (68%), Texas (78%), Louisiana (75%), and Colorado (78%) voters support building carbon removal in their respective states. 2) In community workshops across the state, Californians voiced a desire for their community to have a say in the scoping and siting of a potential climate infrastructure project. 3) Two-thirds of Californians (66%) agreed that fossil fuel companies should be required to pay for carbon removal projects because their industry created excess carbon pollution in the atmosphere while misleading the public about it for decades.

Graphic with five facts from 2024: 1) With Lead Locally, we found that over two-thirds of Portland (OR) voters were more likely to vote for a candidate with a reputation as a climate leader. 2) Most voters (58%) said they prefer a publicly owned and operated transmission system, compared with just 24% who said they support private ownership. 3) A strong majority of voters (75%) supported banning utility junk fees and banning using ratepayer funds for political activities. 4) We found that voters who are not considering installing rooftop solar panels most often say that the high upfront cost is the primary barrier. 5) Three-quarters (75%) of voters said they support the EPA’s new PFAS drinking water standards.

Graphic with four facts from 2024: 1) 90% of voters said they support the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s proposed rule to protect workers from extreme heat. 2) An overwhelming majority of voters (80%) supported expanding disaster relief eligibility to cover extreme heat and wildfire events. 3) Half of voters under 45 agreed that climate change will impact their decision to have children. 4) In research with the Center for Climate Integrity, we found voters reported being very concerned about plastic waste in waterways, the environment, and the human body, and expressed support for taking action to hold plastics producers accountable for their pollution.

Voters Want Rooftop Solar, but It Won’t Happen Overnight

By Eva Brungard

2024 has been a slow year for residential solar adoption, with a projected 26% decline in installations year-over-year. To better understand public attitudes toward rooftop solar, Data for Progress recently surveyed 1,229 likely voters on perceptions of rooftop solar and barriers to its widespread adoption. Results reveal strong consumer interest but also identify systemic challenges, including costs and consumer education.

Despite only 8% of respondents reporting that they currently have solar panels installed, nearly half (47%) say they would be very or somewhat likely to install solar panels in the next five years. Support is even higher among young voters (64%) and Democrats (57%).

Bar chart of polling data from Data For Progress. Title: Around Half of Voters Say They Are Likely to Consider Residential Solar Installation in the Next Five Years. Description: In the next five years, how likely or unlikely would you be to install solar panels on your home, or ask your landlord to do so? All likely voters — Likely: 47%, Unlikely: 53% Democrat — Likely: 57%, Unlikely: 43% Independent / Third party — Likely: 44%, Unlikely: 56% Republican — Likely: 38%, Unlikely: 62% Under 45 — Likely: 64%, Unlikely: 36% 45+ — Likely: 39%, Unlikely: 61% November 15–18, 2024 survey of 1,229 likely voters.

The majority of voters acknowledge the benefits of rooftop solar paired with battery storage, with 63% of voters believing the combination would reduce the frequency of blackouts, and 65% anticipating that rooftop solar plus battery storage would lower their electricity bill. Among those considering a solar installation in the next five years, the most common reason is to reduce their electricity bill (43%). Others cite the importance of having backup energy for extreme weather events (19%), independence from the electrical grid (17%), and a reduction of their carbon footprint (14%).

Bar chart of polling data from Data For Progress. Title: Voters Say Lowering Their Electricity Bill Is the Primary Reason They Would Consider Installing Solar Panels. Description: This question was shown to respondents who indicated they were somewhat likely or very likely to install solar panels. From the following list, which is the primary reason you would consider installing solar panels on your home? Response Options: A) To lower my electricity bill B) To have backup energy in the case of extreme weather C) To be self-sufficient/Independence from the electric grid D) To reduce my carbon footprint E) My utility or local government encourages installing solar panels F) My friends/family/neighbors have installed solar panels G) Other H) Don't know To lower my electricity bill — 43% chose A To have backup energy in the case of extreme weather — 19% chose B To be self-sufficient/Independence from the electric grid — 17% chose C To reduce my carbon footprint — 14% chose D My utility or local government encourages installing solar panels — 3% chose E My friends/family/neighbors have installed solar panels — 2% chose F Other — 0% chose G Don't know — 2% chose H November 15–18, 2024 survey of 578 likely voters.

Rooftop solar has demonstrated its ability to lower energy bills and reduce carbon emissions, but many homeowners continue to face significant barriers to adoption: 39% of those not considering a solar installation point to high upfront costs as the primary reason for their hesitance. Renters face additional challenges, with 63% citing a lack of decision-making authority to make permanent changes to their homes as the primary reason they have not adopted solar.

These findings show a broad interest across all demographics in solar energy, but also a need for targeted education on the availability of incentives to lower its upfront cost, and on the ability of solar to deliver long-term cost savings for solar owners.

Read the full brief on residential solar adoption here.

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A guest post by

Eva Brungard

Eva is a Master of Public Policy student at Duke University, concentrating on energy and environmental policy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Policy Analysis from Indiana University.

Data for Climate Progress

2024 Data for Climate Progress Wrapped

Welcome back to Data for Climate Progress — your one-stop shop for all things climate at Data for Progress.

DFP x Environmental Polling Consortium

2024 Data for Climate Progress Wrapped

Voters Want Rooftop Solar, but It Won’t Happen Overnight

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