Consider the following policies designed to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

  • A series of local subsidies encouraging homeowners to install electricity-generating solar panels on existing homes.  This costs each homeowner $5 per month in increased property taxes.
  • A local subsidy to encourage homeowners to replace old furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, light bulbs and insulation. This would cost each homeowner $5 per month in additional property taxes.
  • Local regulations requiring electric utilities to produce at least 20 percent of their electricity from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources. This would cost the average homeowner $8.50 per month in increased electric bills.
  • A $.10 per gallon gas fee to encourage people to use less gas.  This would cost the average driver $5 per month.

Before reading below the jump, rank the policies from most desirable to least desirable (to you).

From the Environment News Service:

A majority of Americans responding to a new survey of attitudes toward climate change policies support a variety of city and local measures to minimize the effects of global warming.

The first results of a new quarterly survey called the GfK Roper/Yale Survey on Environmental Issues found that nearly three quarters of the Americans polled (74 percent) would support local regulations requiring all newly constructed homes to be more energy efficient. They supported this policy even when told it would increase the initial cost of a new home by roughly $7,500, while saving about $17,500 in utility bills over 30 years.

Hey, I'm all in favor of other people having to pay more money for their new houses and me getting the benefits.  Then again, I already own a house.  But what happens when I want to sell my house?   What if the new policy would decreases the value of my house relative to the new houses, or that in order to sell my house I might have to match the energy requirements of new houses?  On second thought, maybe I don't support this.

Back to the original question.  The survey results show*** the ranking of policies would be:

    1. (71% support) A local subsidy to encourage homeowners to replace old furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, light bulbs and insulation. This would cost each homeowner $5 per month in additional property taxes.
    2. (70% support) A series of local subsidies encouraging homeowners to install electricity-generating solar panels on existing homes.  This each homeowner $5 per month in increased property taxes.
    3. (69% support) Local regulations requiring electric utilities to produce at least 20 percent of their electricity from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources. This would cost the average homeowner $8.50 per month in increased electric bills.

HUGE GAP......then

(36% support) A $.10 per gallon gas fee to encourage people to use less gas.  This would cost the average driver $5 per month.

Hmmmmmm.....seems odd.

----------------------------------

***From the story:

They found that saving energy and money on utility bills is one of the bonuses that motivated seven in 10 respondents to support local subsidies encouraging homeowners to install electricity-generating solar panels on existing homes, even when told that this initiative would cost households an extra $5 per month in increased property taxes.

The survey shows that 71 percent would pay $5 more a month in property taxes to support a local subsidy to encourage homeowners to replace old furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, light bulbs and insulation.

In addition, 69 percent would pay $8.50 more a month for local regulations requiring electric utilities to produce at least 20 percent of their electricity from wind, solar and other renewable energy sources.

[...]

And 64 percent oppose adding a 10 cent city or local fee to each gallon of gas at the pump to encourage people to use less fuel.


link to original post