Majority of West Virginians Ready for Clean, Green Energy, Multiple Statewide Surveys Show

	Wind turbines in Tucker County - Green Energy is already here in West Virginia!

The Charleston Gazette recently reported, "Most West Virginians favor solar and wind power and more conservation over coal, oil and nuclear power as a path toward ‘energy independence,’ according to new public opinion surveys." The polls indicate that West Virginians agree with most Americans that climate change is a pressing problem, and they want alternative energies to receive their fair share of government subsidies.

"It’s great to know that the majority of West Virginians are in step with the rest of the nation when it comes to energy and climate issues," said Janet Keating, executive director of the OVEC. "Now is the time for our state-level and national political leaders to begin the transition to a new energy future based on clean, renewable sources like wind and solar."

OVEC joined with the national group CLEAN (Citizens Lead for Energy Action Now) and the Civil Society Institute, a nonprofit think tank, to release three surveys conducted by the polling firm Opinion Research Corp. CLEAN is a collaborative movement of organizations and individuals with the common goal of implementing a new energy future.

Surveys were conducted across the country and locally in West Virginia and Kentucky to compare national attitudes on energy issues with those in Appalachia’s two biggest coal states. Some findings from the survey include:

• Forty-four percent of West Virginians said they viewed coal as the "power source of yesterday." That compares to 70 percent of those surveyed nationally who agreed with that label.

• Sixty-two percent of West Virginians disagree with Manchin’s refusal to try to block Massey Energy from blasting apart a Raleigh County mountain where environmental groups think a wind-power facility should be built. Among those with the strongest feelings on the issue, 15 percent strongly supported Manchin’s decision, while 39 percent strongly opposed it.

• The surveys found that 84 percent of West Virginians agree the effects of global warming require "timely and decisive steps to develop renewable energy and that we cannot postpone decisions since there are no perfect options." That’s more than the 78 percent nationally who agreed with that statement.

• Thirteen percent of West Virginians said there is plenty of time to fix the problem, compared to 10 percent nationally.

Read the complete surveys at theclean.org/.

Renewable Energy Certificates

We can now encourage renewable electric power usage through a new program from Appalachian Power. Check out the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) program at www.appalachianpower.com and click on the "green energy pricing option" at the top of the web page.

Take Action

All movements in our nation’s history – civil rights, women’s rights, anti-nuke, anti-war movements – succeeded when ordinary people banded together to demand change. Be a part of the global warming solution. Join OVEC and CLEAN’s grassroots effort to steer our national leaders toward a clean, renewable energy future! Sign up as an individual supporter of CLEAN’s Call to Action today at theclean.org/.