"Public Split Over Elimination of U.S. Energy Subsidies, Poll Finds"

"Fifty-four percent oppose doing away with subsidies for oil, gas, coal, nuclear or renewable energy, while 47% favor the idea. Support for building more nuclear power plants has fallen dramatically."



"The American public is divided about whether to eliminate federal subsidies for any form of energy and is giving less support to nuclear power and U.S. funding of renewable energy, a new poll has found.

Fifty-four percent of respondents opposed doing away with subsidies for oil, gas, coal, nuclear or renewable energy, while 47% favored the idea. Support for building more nuclear power plants has fallen dramatically, to 42% from 61% in 2008.

The Yale-George Mason University poll being released Thursday found that 76% of Americans support regulating carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas pollutant and that two-thirds believe the U.S. should pursue policies to reduce its carbon footprint.

Support for federal funding of renewable energy appears to be slipping, perhaps in response to the bankruptcy of the solar manufacturing company Solyndra, which had received federal loan guarantees."

Julie Cart reports for the Los Angeles Times April 26, 2012.

Source: LA Times, 04/26/2012