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Applied Materials Inc. knew from previous polling it commissioned that a significant number of people said they would pay extra for solar energy. But the surprise came in the amount.
According to a recent survey it commissioned, 67 percent of Americans would be willing to pay more for their monthly utility bill if their utility company increased its use of renewable energy and 49 percent of consumers polled would be willing to pay $5 or more each month for an increased amount of renewable energy-a 14 percent increase from the results of the 2009 survey.
Yes, answering a poll question costs nothing, but consider the size of the majorities, too, in the poll Applied released earlier this week.
That even surprised Robert DeLine, chief marketing officer for Applied's solar business. I spoke to DeLine this week.
"There has been shifting in the number of people who are willing to pay a little extra," DeLine said. "But in our internal calculations we figured people were willing to pay about a dollar more a month for solar electricity."
To says he was surprised that the poll respondents were willing to go as high as $5 a month is an understatement.
If DeLine's assessment of the electricity market is close to correct, then the premium is reachable. "The market in is showing that the cost of solar is going down significantly and in some circumstances approaching 15 cents per kilowatt-hour," he said. "When the cost of fossil-fueled electricity is 10 cents in many places, then when you consider the cost of electricity is going to go up, then we're within shouting distance."
Other results of the poll revealed that two-thirds of Americans believe solar technology should play a greater role in meeting the country's energy needs. In addition, three-quarters of Americans feel that increasing renewable energy and decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil are the country's top energy priorities.
Surely the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has influenced some, but green energy may be approaching the height of its popularity.
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