CLEVELAND, Ohio – Survey says …. Republicans like solar power.
A recent poll commissioned by First Solar, a solar equipment manufacturer with plants in Ohio, the South and overseas, shows Republican voters broadly support solar energy, especially if the panels generating it are made in America.
The survey found 51% of the respondents favor the use of utility-scale solar power, while 70% are in support if the panels “are American made with no ties to China,” according to a news release from First Solar.
The poll was conducted by the firm Fabrizio, Lee & Associates of 800 respondents described as Republicans, independents who lean Republican, and Trump voters. The margin of error was plus-or-minus 3.46% at the 95% confidence interval.
The survey also showed 68% of respondents agreeing that all forms of electricity generation are needed to achieve lower costs, with 22% in disagreement.
The survey’s release comes as mid-term election campaigns are ramping up and states like Ohio are trying to determine how they will meet surging demand for electricity.
Much of that demand in Ohio is expected to come from the dramatic growth in data centers across the state to help power AI and other computer operations.
A large majority – 79% – of poll respondents believe the government should not interfere when it comes to electricity generation and that all forms should be allowed “to compete on their own merits.” Eleven percent disagreed.
Also, 52% of those polled said they are more apt to support a Congressional candidate who supports “an all-of-the-above energy agenda,” with 51% “more likely to vote for a candidate who supported an American company building a solar panel manufacturing plant in the (United States).”
First Solar has three plants in Ohio and one each in Alabama and Louisiana. It expects to open a new plant in South Carolina in the second half of 2026. The company also has operations in India, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Under Republican leadership in the statehouse, Ohio has become less accommodating of utility-scale solar and wind power in recent years, giving local officials more control over where such projects are built.
Increasingly, the Ohio Supreme Court has been asked to determine the fate of solar projects across the state and whether they serve the public interest.
Peter Krouse joined The Plain Dealer in 2000 and currently covers the environment for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Previously, he was a business reporter for eight years and then covered federal and… more
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