Quick opinion polling note as we roll into the autumn Congressional session.

US Congress by jcolman, FlickrAccording to brand new data from ABC News/Washington Post, support among American voters is running strong—about a 2-1 ratio in favor (57 percent to 29 percent)—for the changes to US energy policy proposed in the Waxman-Markey legislation that will soon go before the Senate.

Significantly, more people think these changes would add jobs in their state than believe jobs would be lost (36 percent to 15 percent). It looks like relentless conservative attempts to characterize the energy bill as a job-kill have so far failed to convince the public.

Support for a cap-and-trade system is steady. In June, there was a 52-42 support for this approach; today it’s nearly identical: 52-43 in favor.

Finally, Americans are more apt to see energy solutions in renewables and efficiency than domestic fossil fuels or nuclear.

Read the Center for American Progress analysis here.

 

Photo courtesy of Flickr user jcolman under a Creative Commons license.