While just 27 percent of Americans report they would support fossil fuels over alternative energy, 65 percent of respondents said they would prioritize renewable energy, according to a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center.
The number of those in the U.S. who prefer focusing on alternative energy has increased 5 percent since December 2014, when it was at 60 percent.
Researchers found that preference differed by age, as 73 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 49 listed expanding clean energy as a priority compared to 22 percent of respondents in that age demographic who felt priority should be given to advancing fossil fuels.
Among Americans over the age of 50, the difference was closer with 55 percent favoring alternative energy and 34 percent putting fossil fuels first.
In more recent news, solar energy has surpassed wind energy as the most cost-effective form of energy, according to the Energy Collective. Moreover, reporting on figures from Bloomberg New Energy Finance, unsubsidized large-scale solar is even becoming cheaper than both natural gas and coal.
Currently, this has only proved true in the deserts of the Middle East and Chile, where the sun shines brightly most days. If solar proves to be the most cost-effective option for energy creation, it will completely change global electricity markets, noted the EC.
