Washington, U.S.A. — Wide majorities of Republicans across the United States and in key “swing states” believe that advanced energy is important for the nation’s economic future and want policymakers to focus on fostering these solutions, according to new surveys of likely voters nationwide and in swing states.

The surveys, conducted for the Advanced Energy Economy Institute (AEEI), found that 85 percent of Republicans nationwide and in 12 key swing states believe advanced energy – defined as energy products, technologies, and services that are secure, clean, and affordable over the long term – are very important or somewhat important to America’s future.  At the same time, 88 percent of political independents and 96 percent of Democrats believe advanced energy is important to America’s future.

The surveys also found that four in five Republicans (80 percent) across the country think it’s important for U.S. political leaders to do more to further advance energy.  In swing states, the number was virtually identical with 80 percent of Republicans saying our leaders must to do more to foster the growth of advanced energy.  For the next President, 74 percent of Republicans nationwide and 72 percent in swing states believe it’s very or somewhat important for whoever is elected as the nation’s chief executive to make growing and developing advanced energy a top priority.

“The swing states may be up for grabs politically, but even in these states voters overwhelmingly agree on the importance of advanced energy for our economic future,” said Graham Richard, CEO of Advanced Energy Economy, a national organization representing advanced energy businesses, and of AEEI, its educational and charitable affiliate.

“Americans see the value of advanced energy companies across the nation bringing energy-producing and energy-saving technologies to market and creating jobs that fuel our economy. We look forward to working with political leaders of both parties to help grow this important foundation for our global competitiveness.”

With global energy consumption projected to rise nearly 40 percent by 2030, the nation’s future prosperity depends on new ways to meet the world’s energy needs. Advanced energy, which encompasses the best available commercial technologies for meeting energy needs, presents an economic opportunity for American companies and workers, which have led every technology- and innovation-driven transformation of the past century.

Additional results from the surveys include:

• 79 percent of Republicans describe the nation’s dependence on foreign oil as a crisis (21 percent) or a major problem (58 percent).  Only 17 percent believe it is a minor problem.  For Democrats and Independents, 83 percent and 82 percent respectively believe our reliance on foreign oil is a crisis or a major problem. In swing states, 82 percent of Republicans believe we are in crisis or a major problem while only 13 percent believe it’s a minor problem.
• 58 percent of Republicans in swing states believe the nation is in a state of crisis or has major problems when they describe how electricity is made in the U.S., including its cost, reliability, safety, public health and environmental impact.  65 percent of Democrats described the situation as in crisis or major problems; 61 percent of Independents described the situation in those terms.  For the general U.S. population, 59 percent described the nation’s status as in crisis or with major problems.
• 61 percent of Republicans across the nation and in swing states believe that gasoline will cost more than $5 per gallon five years from now; 35 percent believe the price will be more than $6 per gallon.  (Similar numbers were reported across all political demographics).
• 90 percent of Republicans believe it is very important or somewhat important for America’s future to be a leader in developing, manufacturing, and deploying advanced energy products like batteries for power storage, solar panels and turbine components; only 6 percent described it as “not very” or “not important at all.” In swing states, 83 percent of Republicans believe these solutions are very or somewhat important

• The County of Alameda, California Public Health Department will conduct an HIA to examine the impacts of changes to the Regional Transportation Plan, specifically changes to bus access.Availability of transportation may affect health through changing access to jobs, quality schools, medical care and social services, and grocery and retail stores. The HIA will focus on equity impacts, or how the new plan might affect different populations in different ways. (Supported by funding from The California Endowment.)
• California Rural Legal Assistance will conduct two HIAs to inform the development of state-mandated plans in Kern and Fresno Counties that will guide local land use, transportation, and other policies relevant to greenhouse gas emissions, as required by California’s Senate Bill 375.The HIAs will examine the ways in which these plans may influence factors important to health, such as access to sidewalks, bike lanes, open space, healthy foods, health care services, as well as exposure to air pollution. (Supported by funding from The California Endowment.)
• The City of Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support will conduct an HIA to inform revisions to the city’s Above the Falls Master Plan, which will guide redevelopment of an industrial area near low-income neighborhoods along the upper Mississippi riverfront.This HIA is being conducted in collaboration with the City of Minneapolis Department of Community Planning and Economic Development and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. It will assess the ways in which proposed elements of the master plan could affect health through, for example, changing exposure to air and water pollution, developing parkland along the riverfront to provide opportunities for exercise, revitalizing substandard housing, and attracting businesses to the area. (Supported by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation.)
• The Georgia Health Policy Center and Department of Sociology at Georgia State University will conduct an HIA to provide recommendations on the selection of sites for and the design of public housing in Galveston, Texas that is being rebuilt after Hurricane Ike destroyed much of the low-income housing in the region in 2008. (Supported by The Kresge Foundation.)
• Hennepin County Department of Housing, Community Works and Transit (Minnesota) will conduct an HIA to inform planning and funding decisions on the proposed Bottineau Transitway.The new system would create a bus or light rail line extending from downtown Minneapolis throughNorth Minneapolis and into neighboring suburbs. (Supported by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation.)
• The Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI) will conduct an HIA on a legislative proposal under consideration in the Illinois General Assembly that would require the Illinois Department of Human Services to seek a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ban the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase sugary drinks. IPHI will conduct a balanced, science-driven assessment.The HIA will consider both potential health benefits – such as a lower risk of obesity, tooth decay, and diabetes – and risks, including reduced participation in SNAP by eligible families, hunger, and the potential for such policies to add to the stigma associated with SNAP participation.
• Kane County (Illinois) will conduct an HIA of a proposed amendment to the county’s farmland protection ordinance, which may affect the health of local residents through, for example, changes in availability and price of fresh fruits and vegetables, food safety, and economic changes resulting from increased food production in the region.
• The Kansas Health Institute will conduct an HIA of casino development in southeast Kansas that might result from changes proposed in three state Senate bills. Some studies suggest that casinos elevate the risk of alcohol abuse, violence, stress, mental illness, injury, and bankruptcy, which can lead to loss of housing and health insurance.However, casinos also can provide economic development, employment, and insurance, as well as county and state revenues to support services and infrastructure improvements that promote health. KHI will assess, and develop recommendations to address, the risks, benefits, and trade-offs of the legislation.
• The National Center for Healthy Housing will conduct an HIA to determine and compare the impacts of the proposed Baltimore-Washington Rail Intermodal Facility at several potential sites in the region. The facility would transfer freight cargo between trains and trucks. It poses potential health concerns that include, for example, air and noise pollution and substantial increases in local truck traffic leading to safety risks. Its construction and operation may create local jobs and generate community tax revenue that supports services that benefit health. (Supported by The Kresge Foundation.)
• The Ohio Housing Finance Agency will conduct an HIA that will inform decisions on proposed modifications to housing inspection programs in the state that would reduce the number of inspections on affordable housing units by improving inter-agency coordination and streamlining the current system.Housing inspections help identify and remedy substandard physical conditions, like water leaks and mold, pests, peeling paint, and structural hazards, which can contribute to a wide range of health problems including asthma, injury, burns, and mental illness. The Ohio State University College of Public Health is a partner for this project.
• The Oregon Public Health Institute will conduct an HIA to inform the Portland City Council’s June 2012 decision on whether to fund the Bureau of Development Services’ Rental Housing Inspections Program at a level sufficient to continue the city’s Enhanced Inspections pilot program, and potentially expand it to other parts of the city.Inspections programs can influence housing conditions, and poor housing contributes to a range of health problems, such as asthma and other respiratory illness, injury, burns, and lead exposure.
• The Sequoia Foundation will conduct an HIA to identify impacts and inform decisions regarding a proposed biomass energy facility in Placer County, California. The proposed facility would be fueled by forest materials (wood chips, slash, bark, and pine needles) that are currently being generated as a result of ongoing programs enacted to reduce forest-fire hazards in the area.The HIA will ensure that these decisions factor in health considerations, such as how changes in air quality and truck traffic on local roads could affect things like asthma, injury rates, and access to services important to health.
• The University of Rochester will conduct an HIA to help inform a waterfront revitalization plan in low-income neighborhoods in Rochester, New York. Health-related issues that the HIA will address include, for example, how the plan will affect opportunities for physical activity, air and water pollution, and seafood contamination.
• The University of Washington School of Public Health will conduct an HIA to inform decisions by the Environmental Protection Agency and responsible parties related to the proposed cleanup of the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site. The responsible parties include the Port of Seattle, the City of Seattle, King County, and the Boeing Company.Key health issues that the HIA will address include consuming contaminated seafood, air and soil pollution, as well as concerns such as construction noise, traffic safety, and access to goods and services in the neighborhoods surrounding the site during and after the cleanup.
• Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) will conduct an HIA to inform the zoning and permitting decisions associated with a proposal to build a poultry litter-fired power plant as part ofVirginia’s federally-mandated plan to reduce water pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The proposed facility poses potential health risks through increasing harmful air emissions, truck traffic, odor, and noise in nearby communities.Economic impacts, however, may benefit health by increasing employment opportunities, access to health insurance, and generating revenues that support local services important to health. The project, which will involve the VCU Center on Human Needs and the VCU Center on Environmental Studies, will conduct a balanced assessment with the goal of providing useful information for the public and decision makers looking to weigh trade-offs.

The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, is a leading national initiative dedicated to promoting the use of health impact assessments in the United States. More information about the projects and HIA in general, including a searchable map of HIA activity in the U.S., is available at www.healthimpactproject.org