The Inflation Reduction Act is the Biden administration’s signature climate law and the U.S. government’s largest investment to date in reducing climate pollution. The policy is well-known and widely praised among climate advocates, but otherwise only a handful of Americans have heard of it.
However, once voters became aware of this landmark law, they overwhelmingly supported it.
The findings come from a survey of registered U.S. voters conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (publisher of this site) and the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University.
In this nationally representative survey, participants were first asked whether they had heard of the Inflation Reduction Act. Only 39% of participants said they had heard “a lot” or “some” about it. Surprisingly, the number of people who have heard about the law is unchanged from a year ago, even though the legislation has begun spurring a surge in U.S. battery, solar panel and auto manufacturing and helping consumers buy energy-efficient products.
Next, survey participants read a brief description of the Inflation Reduction Act:
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) aims to curb inflation by reducing the federal deficit, lowering prescription drug prices and health insurance costs, modernizing the Internal Revenue Service, and investing in U.S. clean energy production. The bill authorizes $391 billion to develop clean energy and combat global warming, including tax incentives and rebates to help consumers and businesses purchase energy-efficient appliances, solar panels, electric vehicles, etc. to support communities most harmed by air and water pollution. This is the largest investment ever made by the U.S. government to reduce global warming and is expected to help the United States reduce carbon pollution by 40% by 2030.
After reading a summary of the law, about three-quarters of voters surveyed (74%) expressed support for the law. In other words, voters didn’t know much about the policy, but when they heard it, they liked it. (Some voters may have heard about the benefits of IRAs but not attributed them to the law.)
read: Checklist: How to take advantage of new clean energy tax credits
Republicans divided over inflation-lowering bill
In today's political environment, voters' views on almost everything depend on their political worldview, and this is especially true when it comes to climate and energy issues. But the findings reveal an atypical divide.
In this case, Republicans are divided. Like Democrats, moderate and liberal Republicans largely support the Inflation Reduction Act, with 7 in 10 moderate and liberal Republicans approving of it. This figure represents an increase of 13 percentage points from last year. Conservative Republicans are a clear outlier, with just 30% supporting the law.
Despite party divisions among Republicans, a cluster of data points near the top of the graph suggests that much of the public already agrees with measures to reduce climate pollution and conserve energy.
The law is helping to drive U.S. manufacturing and energy innovation, and is particularly beneficial to red states. In 2023, more than 3.4 million U.S. households took advantage of energy efficiency and residential clean energy tax credits, saving consumers a total of $8.4 billion. Other findings from the survey show strong bipartisan support for these elements of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The findings could be useful to policymakers, communicators, advocates and ordinary people who want to help spread the word about the benefits of investing in modern energy and preparing for a changing climate, and how these measures can help people and communities.
Solving climate change is difficult, but it will be much easier when it becomes popular.
Learn more about the Inflation Reduction Act: Experts: Senate-passed bill would bring myriad climate benefits
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