Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) President Heather Reams wrote the below response to The Washington Post’s article: “Americans don’t hate living near solar and wind farms as much as you might think”:
I applaud the Washington Post for highlighting that Americans are setting aside “Not In My Back Yard” tendencies, or NIMBYism. In fact, CRES Forum polling earlier this year found Republicans increasingly support clean energy, especially when it’s in their backyard. This polling shows Republican support for solar power increases six percent among those who live near solar farms. Likewise, Republican support for wind and nuclear power generation increased eight percent for those residing near wind turbines and a whopping 28 percentage points for those near nuclear reactors.
The shift in public opinion to YIMBYism – “Yes In My Back Yard” – is important progress to a clean energy future. Americans support clean energy such as hydropower, nuclear, solar and wind because local communities benefit through job creation, lower energy costs, and a cleaner environment.