In a major new statewide survey, solid majorities of Massachusetts residents – spanning all political parties – and those who live on the Cape and on the Islands — said they want the Bay State to emerge as a national leader in alternative energy, including wind power projects such as Cape Wind. The new Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) poll (pdf) for the Newton-based Civil Society Institute also looks at the attitudes of state residents about coal-fired power plants, nuclear power, and the federal vehicle fuel-efficiency standards that Massachusetts Rep. Ed Markey is now shepherding through Congress.
The scientific survey of 600 state residents found that 93 percent of Massachusetts residents — including 78 percent of those who live on the Cape and on the Islands — agree that the state should be “a national leader in using cleaner and renewable energy on a large scale by moving ahead with offshore wind power” and other clean energy initiatives. The statement is supported on a bipartisan basis by Republicans (94 percent), Democrats (93 percent), and Independents (93 percent).
