By Adam Aton
Democrat Joe Biden’s climate plan looks like a winner in the states that could decide control of the White House and Senate, according to polling from a left-leaning group.
Given a choice between an electricity system that decarbonizes by 2035 or one that delivers the cheapest possible electricity, regardless of the source, voters in four battleground states chose deadline-driven emissions reductions by double-digit margins, according to
polling by the think tank Data for Progress.
Arizona, Iowa, Maine and North Carolina voters collectively backed the 2035 deadline by a 15-point margin. The poll found that 50% of voters supported it and 35% didn’t.
Broken down by state, Biden’s proposed 2035 deadline for net-zero emissions in the electricity sector registered majority support in Arizona, Maine and Iowa, and it got a 48% plurality in North Carolina. Opposition registered between 31% and 38%.
Biden’s plan to invest $2 trillion in climate action over four years also polled well. After hearing a short description of Biden’s plan, as well as a Republican counterpoint about preserving fossil fuel jobs, voters in each of the battleground states gave it majority support. It registered 53% cumulative support in those states while 33% were opposed.
The poll also found overwhelming support for earmarking 40% of climate investments for low-income communities, as Biden’s plan calls for.
The poll found 63% of voters across the battleground states supported that policy and 19% opposed it. Support topped 60% in each state.
Similar support was found for an “equity screen” designed to prioritize federal climate investments in the places that need it most.
A 41% plurality of voters thought Congress should make climate change a priority on the first day of its next term.
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