A full 91 percent of respondents to the North Carolina Sustainable & Renewable Energy Survey said they supported using solar power to meet the state’s growing energy needs. The survey, which interviewed 800 North Carolina voters was conducted by Fallon Research on behalf of the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA). The renewable energy advocacy group commissioned the survey even as renewable energy legislation it’s advocating for is working its way through the state’s General Assembly.

“From a policy standpoint it’s not unusual to see these types of issues that legislators are debating to become very polarized by bipartisanship and ideology, but this seems to be the kind of topic that transcends that rancor, which is highly unusual,” said pollster Paul Fallon during a webcast discussing the survey. “So from a voter standpoint, it’s rare to see this kind of voter unanimity. This is very safe ground to be on, and it’s rare to find these types of issues.”

The poll found that 79.2 percent of North Carolinians thought the state’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) law, which passed in 2007, was a good idea.

The law requires investor-owned utilities in the state to source 12.5 percent of their electricity from renewable generation by 2021 and co-operative and municipal utilities to source 10 percent of their generation from such sources by 2018.

The poll also found that 75 percent of respondents supported doubling the amount of solar required under REPS.

“With so many new legislators, 33 percent of the legislators are freshman. Many of them have not been involved in energy discussions in the past,” said NCSEA Executive Director Ivan Urlaub. “So these questions were very important in exploring where the citizens are on past energy decisions such as the [REPS] law.

The bills the association is advocating for would increase the amount of solar required under REPS and would increase renewable energy jobs in the state. If both bills under consideration are passed into law, they could create roughly 8,350 new jobs in North Carlolina by 2015.

Supporters of the Solar Jobs Bill (HB495/SB473) say it will create about 6,000 jobs.

The Energy Independence & Job Creation in North Carolina Bill (SB694) would allow energy purchasers to buy power from third-party renewable energy producers than from the major utilities in the state.

The poll found that overall 85 percent of respondents, Democrat, Republican and independents, favored legislation like the energy independence bill.

“We’re seeing increasing support,” Urulab said. “More advocates have visited legislators this legislative session on clean energy legislation—especially businesses, North Carolina businesses—than we’re aware of in any past legislative session.”

The bills, which have strong bipartisan support, are working their way through the General Assembly.

“There is an incredibly high level of support, particularly for solar power,” Urulab said. “Also, the sentiment seems to be pretty strong that people want firms to be able to compete to offer solar power in ways that they want to consume it.”

Each bill has to pass at least one house by June 9 to be considered this or even next year, according to Urulab.