Study Finds America’s Enthusiasm for Renewable Energy Is Waning
WASHINGTON — The percentage of Americans who say they’re excited about the expanded use of renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, has decreased in the years since President Donald Trump first held office, a new Pew Research survey has found.
While renewable energy initiatives remain widely popular, the report suggests that resistance to renewable energy by Republican lawmakers has driven a decline in the public’s support.
“Sixty-eight percent of Americans favor more wind power, compared with 83% in 2020 at the end of the first Trump administration,” the report said. “Similarly, 77% of Americans favor more solar power, down from nine-in-10 in 2020.”
The report also noted that while still less popular than renewable energy, fossil fuel development received greater support in 2025 than in 2020.
Thirty-three percent of Americans said that fossil fuel drilling should increase. Oil and natural gas drilling on public lands has also increased since the beginning of Trump’s second term.
Conversely, attitudes towards electric vehicles also took a sharp decline. The report states that since 2021, Americans who favor “phasing out” gasoline vehicles by 2035 have fallen by 13%.
These trends are reflected in recent policy moves. The Trump administration’s plans to drastically reduce federal spending has put a wrench in efforts to expand clean energy.
Part of the 2026 fiscal budget proposes cuts to tax breaks in the Inflation Reduction Act, many provisions of which are designed to incentivize electric vehicle purchases.
The 2026 budget also lays out $2.6 billion in cuts from the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
During a recent hearing on Capitol Hill, Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended the proposed budget for his department, which is part of the reconciliation package currently working its way through the Senate.
“The president’s fiscal year 2026 budget will ensure taxpayer resources are allocated appropriately and cost effectively,” Wright said. “We will invest DOE’s resources in sources and technology that support affordable, reliable and secure energy — and provide a return on investment for American taxpayers.
“We will return the department to its core mission, and eliminate spending on projects that fail to provide such a return,” Wright continued.
Aligning with this goal of reducing federal spending on energy projects, the DOE withdrew funding from 24 energy projects, a move lambasted by environmental groups.
“As part of the agreement for receiving the grants, companies were all required to engage with the community and address some of the biggest concerns that local residents had with the projects,” said Yong Kwon, a senior advisor at the Sierra Club, in a written statement.
“These included pollution and public safety concerns, alongside hiring local workers and investing in programs that would benefit local residents,” Kwon continued, adding, “By pulling the plug from 24 projects, the Trump administration and DOGE are taking away efforts that would support the well-being and economic vitality of manufacturing communities. This is a betrayal of public trust.”
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