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Public Attitudes About Renewable Energy in Hawaii
From UH CTAHR
ABSTRACT — A representative survey of 1,214 Hawai‘i residents was conducted for the purpose of assessing public attitudes about different technologies for generating electricity.
Renewable energy (RE) technologies were very highly favored: 97% of the public supported increased development of at least some forms of RE in our state.
This support for RE was motivated by concerns for environmental protection, sustainability, and energy independence and by frustration with local energy prices.
Solar and wind power were the most widely accepted forms of RE (with 92% and 86% favorable opinion, respectively), followed by hydroelectric (76%) and geothermal power (75%).
Municipal waste (58%) and biomass combustion (53%) were less widely endorsed but were still acceptable to the majority of residents.
Only a small segment of the public endorsed conventional sources of energy generation—nuclear (22%), oil (13%), and coal (12%).
(Apparently they didn't ask about Natural Gas.)
There were modest differences in attitudes as a function of age, gender, and education, but no differences across counties.
Read: Public Attitudes About Renewable Energy
PBN: Public support for renewable energy in Hawaii highly favorable, new report says
| Electricity Source |
Hawaii % |
US % |
Support % |
| Coal |
15 |
37 |
12 |
| Natural Gas |
0 |
30 |
didn't ask
|
| Nuclear |
0 |
19 |
22 |
| Petroleum |
71 |
<1 |
13 |
| Hydro |
1 |
7 |
76 |
| Wind |
4 |
3 |
86 |
| Biomass/Wood |
3 |
4 |
53 |
| Geothermal |
2 |
<1 |
75 |
| Solar |
<1 |
<1 |
92 |
| Other |
3 |
<1 |
58
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