Americans shifting views on energy issues is now a clearer political story after a new Pew Research Center survey found a sharp Republican turn toward fossil fuels. Pew surveyed 3,524 U.S. adults from March 16 to 22, 2026, during a period of rising energy costs and weeks into the U.S. military conflict with Iran. The report found Americans still favor prioritizing renewables over fossil fuels overall, but that margin has narrowed dramatically since 2020.
Today, 57% of Americans say the country should prioritize renewable energy over fossil fuels. That is down from 79% in 2020, according to Pew. The shift is driven mostly by Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. In 2020, 65% of Republicans said the focus should be on renewables. Now, only 28% say that, while 71% say the priority should be oil, coal, and natural gas.
Democrats remain far more supportive of renewables, though their backing has softened slightly from earlier peaks. Pew found 83% of Democrats and Democratic leaners still say the country should prioritize wind and solar production. That remains an overwhelming majority, even if it is lower than earlier in the decade. The result is a much wider partisan split over energy priorities than in the recent past.
For financial markets, this matters because public opinion can shape subsidy design, permitting policy, and long-term investment signals. Energy developers, utilities, and manufacturers all depend on policy stability. A wider partisan gap can increase regulatory uncertainty. It can also affect how quickly capital flows toward fossil fuel, renewable, or nuclear projects.
Support for Government Action Is Also Changing
The same survey found broad support for federal policies that encourage wind and solar power, though that support has declined. About 65% of Americans say the federal government should encourage wind and solar production. In 2022, that figure was 72%. Even so, wind and solar still attract more support than any other energy source in Pew’s findings.
Coal remains the least popular option for government support. Pew found 36% of Americans think the government should discourage coal mining, while 27% say it should encourage it. Views on oil and gas drilling are more mixed nationally, but the partisan split is large. Republicans have become much more supportive of government action to expand fossil fuel production.
Among Republicans, 62% now say the federal government should encourage oil and gas drilling. That is up 11 percentage points since January 2022. Support for encouraging coal mining has also increased among Republicans, reaching 45%, up 13 points in four years. By contrast, Democrats are still much more likely to say the government should discourage oil and gas drilling and coal mining.
Nuclear power occupies a middle ground in the debate. Pew found 54% of Republicans and 38% of Democrats say the government should encourage nuclear power production. That makes nuclear one of the few areas where the partisan divide is smaller. It also suggests nuclear could remain politically relevant as both parties debate reliability, industrial demand, and grid expansion.
Reliability and Cost Concerns Shape Renewable Views
Pew’s report suggests views on wind and solar are not changing only because of ideology. Reliability and consumer cost concerns are also playing a larger role. Americans are only slightly more likely to say solar and wind are cheaper than other energy sources than to say they are more expensive. Republicans, however, are much more skeptical of both cost and reliability.
Among Republicans, 44% say wind costs consumers more than other energy sources, and 43% say the same about solar. Only 19% say wind costs less, while 24% say solar costs less. Democrats show the opposite pattern. Pew found 48% of Democrats say both solar and wind cost less than other sources. Far fewer Democrats say those technologies cost more.
Perceptions of reliability are also increasingly negative, especially on the right. Pew found Americans generally view wind and solar as less reliable than other energy sources. Republicans are far more likely to describe both as less reliable rather than more reliable. Democrats are more mixed, especially on wind, though they are more likely to say solar is more reliable than less reliable.
Environmental perceptions have shifted as well. Pew said Republicans are 14 points less likely than five years ago to say solar is better for the environment than most other sources. There has also been a 12-point drop in the share of Republicans who say wind is better for the environment. About 29% of Republicans now say wind is worse for the environment, up 12 points from five years ago.
Energy Politics May Stay Polarized Into 2026
The broader takeaway is that Americans shifting views on energy issues now reflect two different political narratives. Democrats still back wind and solar by large margins and generally want federal support to continue. Republicans are increasingly prioritizing fossil fuels and expressing deeper doubts about renewable costs, reliability, and environmental benefits. That divergence has widened during the second Trump administration.
The timing is important. Pew conducted the survey during an international energy shock tied to the Iran conflict and higher U.S. gasoline prices. Those conditions may have made affordability and reliability more salient to voters. They may also help explain why support for fossil fuel development has strengthened among Republicans. Pew itself linked the findings to rising energy costs and increased demand.
For investors and policymakers, the survey points to a more contested energy landscape. Wind and solar still hold national advantages in public support. But fossil fuels have regained political strength, especially within the Republican coalition. Nuclear is also gaining broader acceptance. That mix suggests future U.S. energy policy could be shaped less by consensus and more by competing views of cost, security, and reliability.
