PCCA Journal|2
nd
Quarter 2013
49
“While it is clear from our survey that many prospective
FTTH providers continue to face funding difficulties and
regulatory uncertainty, many are still finding ways to upgrade
to all-fiber because doing so reduces their maintenance costs
and strengthens their opportunities to expand their subscrib-
er base and offer customers more services,” RVA President
Michael Render said.
Consumer Support for
Wind and Solar Energy Declines
D
espite some well-publicized company failures,
the solar and wind energy industries continued to
expand in the United States during 2012, and con-
sumers still tend to view the two renewable energy concepts
favorably. However, according to a recent survey by Navi-
gant Research, consumer support for solar and wind energy,
though still high, has fallen steadily over the last three years.
Favorable impressions of solar energy fell from 77 percent
in 2011 to 69 percent in 2012, the survey found, while wind
energy suffered a smaller drop, from 71 percent to 69 percent.
“Since 2009, there have been steady declines in favorability
for some clean energy concepts, particularly the areas that
have traditionally enjoyed strong consumer support such
as solar energy, wind energy, hybrid vehicles, and electric
cars,” said Clint Wheelock, managing director with Navigant
Research. “Overall, support for clean energy concepts in our
tracking survey held fairly steady from 2011 to 2012, but the
decline for solar energy in particular was significant.”
The survey results, part of Navigant Research’s annual
Energy & Environment Consumer Survey, are summarized in
a free white paper, which is available for download on Navi-
gant’s website.
The average favorability responses for the 13 energy and
environmental concepts have also declined over the past few
years, from 50 percent in 2009 to 42 percent in 2012, al-
though that figure remained essentially unchanged from 2011.
Cap and trade received the fewest favorable responses, with
only 15 percent. Favorable responses for clean coal, natural
gas vehicles, nuclear power, biofuels, and six other concepts
were unchanged year-over-year. In 2012, only three of the 13
concepts received overall favorable responses: solar energy,
wind energy, and hybrid vehicles. Support for electric cars
dropped below 50 percent for the first time since the survey
was initiated in 2009.
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