Poll: Virginia voters want stimulus dollars to go to clean energy, not fossil fuels

Virginia voters, according to a new poll, overwhelmingly support spending economic stimulus dollars on clean energy rather than polluting fossil fuels.

The national poll from Climate Nexus, in partnership with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication, found that voters nationally believe elected officials should listen to scientists and experts on how to handle the coronavirus epidemic.

The survey results come about a week after Gov. Ralph Northam signed the Virginia Clean Economy Act, putting Virginia on track to be the first state in the South to have all clean energy sources in place by 2050.

“Like the rest of the country, the Commonwealth of Virginia is going through an unprecedented challenge with the coronavirus pandemic,” noted Lee Francis, Deputy Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. “Our General Assembly and Governor Northam, acting with an eye towards future growth and the health of our communities, prioritized the transition to clean energy throughout the legislative session. Now as we emerge from the pandemic, Virginians will see cleaner air and the economic benefits that come with the transition away from fossil fuels.”