30% of Americans would pay more for guaranteed renewable electricity
Using this data story? Please reference the source using one of the formats below.
Conjointly. (May 2026). 30% of Americans would pay more for guaranteed renewable electricity. https://brandtracker.conjointly.com/data-stories/renewable-energy/. Retrieved .
Conjointly. "30% of Americans would pay more for guaranteed renewable electricity." Brand Tracker by Conjointly, May 2026, https://brandtracker.conjointly.com/data-stories/renewable-energy/. Accessed .
Conjointly. "30% of Americans would pay more for guaranteed renewable electricity." Brand Tracker by Conjointly. May 2026. https://brandtracker.conjointly.com/data-stories/renewable-energy/. Accessed .
The May 2026 Brand Tracker survey of 1,440 American adults asked two extra questions: willingness to pay a green premium, and what matters most when choosing an energy source.
Conjointly found that most Americans are not willing to pay more for renewable electricity. Only 30% would accept a higher power bill for guaranteed 100% renewable electricity. 35% said “no” outright, and 35% remained unsure.
Under-30s are the most willing to pay more, at more than double the rate of over-55s (43% vs 20%). Across every age group, cost ranks as the top energy priority, cited first by 36% of respondents overall.
Willingness to pay more for renewable electricity
Only 30% of Americans would be willing to pay more for guaranteed 100% renewable electricity.
Question 1: If your electricity provider guaranteed 100% renewable energy, would you be willing to pay more on your monthly power bill?
Results by segment
The line bar marks the overall average for "yes, probably" and "yes, definitely" (30%).
Gender
Age
30% of Americans would be willing to pay more for guaranteed 100% renewable electricity, but 35% say no and 35% are not sure. Men are somewhat more willing than women (34% vs 26%), though both groups lean heavily toward “not sure”. Under-30s are the most willing at 43%, more than double the rate of over-55s (20%). Nearly half of over-55s say no outright (47%), the strongest resistance of any group.
What matters most when choosing an energy source
36% of Americans rank lower cost as the top driver for their energy source.
Question 2: What matters most to you when it comes to your energy source?
| Driver | Rank 1 | Rank 2 | Rank 3 | Rank 4 | Ranks 5–11 | Not ranked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower cost | 35.8% | 14.9% | 7.5% | 4.2% | 9.2% | 28.4% |
| Reliability | 17.8% | 18.5% | 10.5% | 4.9% | 9.4% | 38.9% |
| Health & air quality | 8.8% | 10.3% | 10.0% | 5.9% | 12.2% | 52.8% |
| Environmental impact | 8.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.3% | 14.5% | 57.7% |
| Grid stability | 6.3% | 6.8% | 9.0% | 5.8% | 14.4% | 57.7% |
| Energy independence | 5.1% | 5.3% | 6.7% | 4.6% | 16.1% | 62.2% |
| National security | 5.0% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 4.0% | 16.3% | 68.0% |
| Energy storage & innovation | 3.9% | 3.7% | 4.7% | 4.0% | 16.3% | 67.4% |
| Supporting rural communities | 3.3% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 4.0% | 16.5% | 69.2% |
| Local job creation | 2.8% | 4.7% | 4.9% | 3.9% | 17.8% | 65.9% |
| Transparent sourcing | 2.6% | 4.0% | 4.3% | 3.2% | 17.1% | 68.8% |
Results by segment
% ranking each driver as #1 priority by segment.
| Female | Male | Under 30 | 30–55 | Over 55 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower cost | 33% | 38% | 24% | 37% | 41% |
| Reliability | 18% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 21% |
| Health & air quality | 7% | 11% | 13% | 9% | 6% |
| Environmental impact | 7% | 10% | 9% | 8% | 9% |
| Grid stability | 7% | 6% | 9% | 6% | 6% |
Lower cost is the #1 priority across every segment, peaking at 41% among over-55s and dropping to 24% among under-30s. Reliability is the clear #2 for most segments, with over-55s elevating it even more (21%). Under-30s are most likely to rank health & air quality first (13%), nearly double the rate of over-55s (6%). Women are more likely than men to prioritise health & air quality (11% vs 7%) and environmental impact (10% vs 7%).
