Seventy-three percent of likely voters said they\u2019d vote yes on the proposal to expedite the reviews for housing, transportation, health, water and clean energy projects, though PPIC noted that the label and title the proposition will carry on the ballot weren\u2019t published when surveyors conducted the poll.<\/p>\n
The percentage of Californians (including non-likely voters) who called energy costs a big problem rose 9 points from last July \u2014 a sign of the growing pressures high gasoline costs and electrical bills are bringing to bear on state residents. And while Californians continue to support state law mandating 100% of the state\u2019s electricity come from renewable energy sources by 2045, only 38% of them are willing to pay more on their electrical bills for that shift.<\/p>\n
Only once since PPIC has asked, has a majority of voters said they were willing to pay more for the transition to renewable energy, according to the organization\u2019s study \u2014 a high watermark that came in 2016.<\/p>\n
In the most recent survey, about half of Californians approved of Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s approach to the state\u2019s environmental issues, as Newsom nears the end of his time in office. When it came to the state Legislature, 48% of adults and 51% of likely voters support lawmakers handling of environmental issues. Predictably in a deep blue state where Democrats have been horrified by Republicans aggressive attempts to gut some of the nation\u2019s landmark environmental policies, only 28% of likely voters approve of President Donald Trump\u2019s environmental policies. Just 18% of likely voters approve of the Republican-held U.S. Congress\u2019s approach to environmental issues.<\/p>\n
The figure was similar for the federal government in general, with only 19% of likely voters trusting it to do the right thing when it came to environmental policies.<\/p>\n
If Newsom\u2019s environmental approach held a narrow majority approval, though, his attempt to wean the state off gas-powered cars proved largely unpopular. The governor\u2019s September 2020 order directed the state to require all new cars and passenger trucks sold in the state after 2035 be zero-emission vehicles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the most impactful step our state can take to fight climate change,\u201d Newsom said at the time.<\/p>\n
Today, 66% of California adults oppose that policy. That\u2019s a 17-point increase from 2021. Among Democrats, 49% support the policy while 50% are opposed. Only 9% of Republicans support the executive order, and just 30% of independents.<\/p>\n
Californians also appear to be uniting around a new environmental villain: data centers for artificial intelligence. Seven in ten Californians are opposed to the construction of an AI data center near where they live. Among likely voters, 50% strongly oppose such construction and 28% are somewhat opposed. Among Central Valley residents opposition is a little lighter, with 38% strongly opposed and 29% somewhat opposed. Opposition is highest in the Inland Empire, and lightest in the Orange County and San Diego area.<\/p>\n
State lawmakers have been responding to public concern<\/a> about data centers, which often center around their heavy water use. The Legislature is advancing bills requiring developers and operators to disclose the centers\u2019 water usage. Newsom vetoed similar legislation last year, saying at the time he was reluctant to burden the rapidly evolving industry with new reporting requirements.<\/p>\n