Voters Know America Needs More Energy. Solar & Storage Are the Overwhelming Choice.

Utility bills are up, and new polling finds most Americans call them hard to afford. New surveys, including from Gallup and Pew, show broad public support for building more solar power, with majorities in both parties backing it. Some polling firms that work with Republican candidates found similar support among Trump voters in swing states. Rising demand from data centers and factories has added to worries about where future power will come from and what it will cost.

Solar and battery storage keep coming up as the fastest and cheapest options to add to the grid. Unlike gas or oil plants, they have no fuel costs, so they are less exposed to price swings from fuel markets. They can also be built in months rather than years, and together they have made up more than 80 percent of new power added to the U.S. grid in recent years. Supporters point to billions in factory investment and hundreds of thousands of jobs tied to the industry.

None of this changes what any homeowner needs to do right now. It is a snapshot of public opinion and energy trends ahead of this year's midterm elections, showing that solar and storage have become popular, bipartisan answers to complaints about high electric bills. If that popularity shapes future energy policy, it could affect the cost and availability of solar and storage options for homes down the road, but no new program, rebate, or deadline has been announced.