The durable, bipartisan effects of emphasizing the cost savings of renewable energy

Abel Gustafson (), Matthew H. Goldberg, Parrish Bergquist, Karine Lacroix, Seth A. Rosenthal and Anthony Leiserowitz
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Abel Gustafson: University of Cincinnati
Matthew H. Goldberg: Yale University
Parrish Bergquist: Georgetown University
Karine Lacroix: Yale University
Seth A. Rosenthal: Yale University
Anthony Leiserowitz: Yale University

Nature Energy, 2022, vol. 7, issue 11, 1023-1030

Abstract: Abstract Effective communication can help increase bipartisan support for renewable energy. Prior research suggests that support for renewable energy may be determined, in part, by which of its benefits are emphasized. Here we use a three-stage, longitudinal experiment (N = 2,891) to compare the immediate and over-time effects of three informational frames of renewable energy’s benefits (cost savings, economy boost and global warming mitigation). We tested each message’s effects on US Democrats’ and Republicans’ beliefs about and support for renewable energy, and we compared the longevity of these effects over a period of three weeks. We find that cost savings was the most effective frame—both in terms of immediate effect size on beliefs and in the longevity of those effects—with negligible differences between political groups. The durability of all effects exhibited a consistent pattern: an initial steep drop in effect size followed by a plateau.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41560-022-01099-2

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