Critical Insights on MaineTM Tracking Survey ~ Spring 2014 ~ Summary Report of Findings from Proprietary Items Prepared for: Friends of Maine’s Mountains May 2014
Full Service Market Research and Public Opinion Polling 172 Commercial Street, 2nd Floor
Portland, Maine 04101 172 Commercial Street, 2nd Floor Portland • Maine 2014 www.criticalinsights.com
www.criticalinsights.com
May
1
Background & Methodology •
•
Each Spring and Fall, Critical Insights conducts the Critical Insights on MaineTM Tracking Survey, a comprehensive, statewide public opinion survey of registered voters which covers a variety of topics of interest to business, government, and the general public. Critical Insights on MaineTM has been documenting the attitudes, perceptions, and preferences of Maine’s residents for over 17 years, making it the longest running consistently administered Tracking Survey in the Northeast. –
•
For the current wave of the study, Critical Insights completed a total of 601 telephone interviews (including cell phones) with randomly selected voters across the state between April 16th – 23rd, 2014. – – –
•
In addition to general interest items (the results of which are released to the media as a public service) the survey also includes a number of proprietary items included in the poll on behalf of sponsoring entities, with results of those items released only to those sponsors.
With a sample of 601 interviews, results presented here have an associated sampling error of +/- 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All interviews were conducted with self-reported registered voters; final data were statistically weighted according to relevant demographics to reflect the voter base in Maine. On average, the entire survey instrument – including both general interest items and all subscriber questions – was 20 minutes in administrative length.
This document presents results of questions proprietary to Friends of Maine’s Mountains.
May 2014
172 Commercial Street, 2nd Floor Portland • Maine www.criticalinsights.com
2
Half of Maine residents polled say they are likely to support building wind turbine towers even if it cannot reduce nuclear, coal, or oil use – though one-third are only “somewhat likely” – versus about 4-in-10 who are less likely to favor the idea. Maine and New England have essentially eliminated the use of coal and oil for electricity generation, by using cleaner sources of fuel. Last year coal and oil generated only 4% of the electricity in New England, and only 1% in Maine. We generally use coal and oil in emergencies when demand peaks. Because wind power only works when the wind is blowing, it cannot be called upon to generate this emergency peak load power, on demand. For similar performance qualities, wind power also cannot replace nuclear power. If wind power cannot reduce our nuclear, coal or oil use, how likely would you be to support building 1,000 or more wind turbine towers – 40 to 50 stories tall – on Maine mountains? 100
Percent
80 60
NET LESS LIKELY 43%
40
NET MORE LIKELY 51%
33 26
20
18
17
6 0
May 2014
172 Commercial Street, 2nd Floor Portland • Maine www.criticalinsights.com
3
After hearing that building the turbines may only marginally reduce CO2 emissions, half of Mainers are less likely to express support for the development, compared to 4-in-10 who are more likely. 99% of Maine’s electricity generation comes from low-emission sources other than nuclear, coal and oil. The EPA estimates that building one thousand turbines in Maine will reduce New England CO2 emissions by a fraction of one percent. Does this information make you more or less likely to support the development of one thousand wind turbine towers on Maine’s mountains? 100
Percent
80 60
NET LESS LIKELY 52%
NET MORE LIKELY 39%
40 27 20
25
23 16 9
0
May 2014
172 Commercial Street, 2nd Floor Portland • Maine www.criticalinsights.com
4
The vast majority of Mainers surveyed – nearly 8-in-10 – claim to be less likely to support building 1,000 wind towers if the development will not positively impact Maine. Notably, 58% are “very unlikely” to support. The developers building wind turbine towers on Maine mountains plan to contract all of the electricity to utilities in Massachusetts and other states. Mainers, through our electric bills and tax breaks, will be required to help pay for the billions of dollars in infrastructure to make these Massachusetts contracts possible. If the electricity would not be for Maine, and would not reduce pollution, and would not reduce Mainer’s utility bills, how likely would you be to support building 1,000 or more wind turbine towers on Maine mountains? 100
Percent
80 60
NET LESS LIKELY 79% 58
NET LESS LIKELY 15%
40 21 20
9
6
6
0
May 2014
172 Commercial Street, 2nd Floor Portland • Maine www.criticalinsights.com
5