Nebraska Rural Poll Shows Strong Support for Renewables

7/11/08

A Nebraska poll says rural communities strongly support renewable energy.

Released Tuesday, the Nebraska Rural Poll shows 91 percent of the rural Nebraskans surveyed believe renewable energy can help meet the nation's energy needs. The poll also said greater efforts are needed to further develop alternative sources of fuel, including ethanol and biodiesel, though Nebraska is one of 18 states with no standards to require renewable fuel development. Seventy-seven percent of those polled also believe Americans must change their lifestyles to reduce energy consumption.

The poll results stem from surveys mailed to 6,200 homes in 84 rural Nebraska counties and a 40-percent response rate. The margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points. To read and download the survey, go to cari.unl.edu/ruralpoll/08energy.pdf