The answer is: That depends. When asked if they had considered buying renewable energy, 42% of Americans said they didn't consider it important, 17% said they evaluated it, but didn't buy it, and another 16% cited economics for declining. Less than 5% of adults say they have purchased renewable energy in some form, but even those worry about the cost of purchasing expensive systems such as wind or solar arrays without easy-to-understand and simple-to-use incentives. One promising concept reported in the survey was the use of RECS. Nearly 32% of American adults said they would be willing to pay a $5 premium per month to purchase energy through renewable sources. If the government contributed a tax credit or other incentive, that number would jump to nearly 50%. Higher income households are twice as likely to purchase more RECS, with tax incentives provided.
Earthsense noted that women are more likely than men to pay a premium for renewables -- a finding that is consistent with earlier Eco-Insights studies that noted that women are more inclined to seek out ways to integrate sustainability into their lifestyle.
Earthsense presented its most recent findings at The State of Green Business 2010 global conference in San Francisco last week, which was sponsored by Greenbiz.com
Learn more at www.earthsense.com and www.greenbiz.com
