Americans fall into five distinct segments when it comes to their energy and environmental outlook, and how energy companies understand the nuances of these segments can make or break the success of their strategies.
These findings are part of E2 (Energy + Environment), an ongoing study by Market Strategies International that tracks a variety of consumer opinions and trends relating to energy, the environment and the utility industry.
The five distinct segments include:
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Ultra Green ¡ª A majority favor speeding up Cap & Trade legislation (76 percent), believe the United States is in an energy crisis (81 percent), and are more likely to believe global warming is real and that it is caused by humans. Ultra Greens tend to be young, Democratic and live in the Northeast.
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Anything Clean ¡ª An older segment, 54 percent believe in speeding up Cap & Trade legislation, 62 percent believe we are in an energy crisis and they are slightly less likely than average to believe in global warming.
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Atomic Efficiency ¡ª 62 percent believe in speeding up Cap & Trade legislation, 70 percent believe we are in an energy crisis and they are slightly more likely than average to believe in global warming. Members of this segment tend to be young and politically Democratic
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No Nukes ¡ª 71 percent believe we are in an energy crisis, 57 percent believe in speeding up Cap & Trade legislation, and they are slightly more likely than average to believe in global warming. This segment has the highest proportion of African Americans.
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Carbon is King ¡ª 70 percent favor slowing down Cap & Trade legislation, just 43 percent believe the United States is in an energy crisis and they are far less likely than average to believe in global warming. Segment members tend to be older Republicans and live in the South.
Understanding how these segments feel about specific issues can help energy companies build coalitions to support various marketing, strategic, and legislative issues, according to Jack Lloyd, vice president for the Energy industry group at Market Strategies International.
"There are clear factions at opposite ends of the spectrum regarding energy policy ¡ª those who are strong alternative energy and efficiency advocates and those who are more open to continued reliance on fossil fuels ¡ª and there are three segments largely in the middle," Lloyd said. "The extent to which an energy company can align their strategies with the viewpoints of these middle groups will determine the long-term success of their efforts."
In other findings:
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When consumers are provided a clear definition of Smart Grid and Smart Meter technology, 72 percent either support or strongly support their utilities implementing these technologies now.
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American consumers' views on whether the country is on the right track are improving. During the fourth quarter of 2008, only 10 percent of survey respondents felt the country was on the right track. In fourth quarter of 2009, 35 percent of respondents felt the country was on the right track.
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Most Americans (81 percent) favor increasing or greatly increasing use of renewable energy sources, but many (64 percent) agree or strongly agree that renewable energy sources should only be pursued if they are cost effective.
"In concept, most people support new alternative energy sources and have a concern for the environment," added Lloyd, "But, there is also a deep desire to do so in a cost effective manner. The energy industry faces a clear challenge balancing consumer concerns for cost with long-term demand for environmentally friendly alternative energy solutions."
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About the E2 (Energy + Environment) Study
A total of 1,010 interviews were completed online with residential consumers across the nation between December 23 and December 31, 2009. The respondents were recruited via an online panel to reflect key characteristics of the U.S. population. The data have been weighted to bring the sample characteristics into even closer alignment with the population.
