SIMPLE ECONOMICS:

Cost savings is the most persuasive argument to change the opinions of both Democrats and Republicans about renewable energy, according to a new study. Messages about the benefits for a household's bottom line have both the largest and the most durable effect, with little difference across the political spectrum--suggesting that emphasizing cost savings could have bipartisan appeal, a rare opportunity overcome political polarization on energy and climate in the United States.

Past studies have shown that support for renewable energy depends on which benefits are emphasized: some arguments in favor of a switch to renewables hold more sway than others. Past research also suggests that cost is a major driver of people's support for energy policy.

But so far, studies have mostly included messages pointing out that renewable energy could increase household energy costs. The research hasn't kept up with the rapidly falling cost of renewable energy, which has now rendered renewable electricity cheaper than coal in many areas.

In the new study, researchers set out to update the picture, as well as test two other aspects of communication about renewables that haven't been well covered in the past: how long the effects on people's beliefs last, and whether Democrats and Republicans respond differently to messages about the benefits of renewables.

"There are many different benefits of renewable energy that could be emphasized when trying to change opinions and build support for it," says study team member Abel Gustafson, a climate communication researcher at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. "The findings of our study suggest that--for both Democrats and Republicans--it may be more persuasive to emphasize renewable energy's cost savings than to emphasize its ability to reduce global warming or to create jobs and boost the economy."

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