Two-thirds of Americans support new EPA regulations — even if they have to pay for them

On the same day the Obama administration announced a proposal to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants by 30 percent come 2030, a new Washington Post-ABC News survey finds a huge majority of Americans support the crux of the plan — even if it will cost them personally.

Fully 63 percent of Americans say they'd support such a plan even if it raised their energy bills by $20 per month. Strikingly, 51 percent of Republicans endorse that idea, too. (Though the $20 figure is a pure hypothetical, the fact that Americans are so gung-ho about footing a bill for a vast regulatory shift is nonetheless notable.)

Perhaps the broad bipartisan support explains why some Democrats are looking to make climate change a major issue in the midterm elections.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up