Poll: Super-Majority of Illinois Residents Want the Freedom to Choose Their Electricity Provider

A new poll shows that a super-majority of Illinois residents want to be able to choose their energy supplier, choose clean energy, and want more renewable energy in the Illinois power system.

SurveyUSA interviewed 550 Illinois adults who rent or own their home, pay their utility bills, and have at least some input on the household choice of their utility company.

The poll was commissioned by CleanChoice Energy.

Support for energy choice through Alternative Retail Energy Suppliers (ARES) cut across the typical partisan divide with the vast majority of both Republicans and Democrats agreeing that they want the freedom to choose their energy provider.

Highlights from the new survey:

• 76% of Illinois residents want the freedom to choose clean energy for their home.

• 78% of Illinoisans want to be able to choose who provides their electricity.

• 80% of Illinois residents would be interested in 100% clean energy if provided the option.

• 82% of residents want the freedom to choose an alternative provider, even if their city or town has selected a provider through a municipal aggregation program.

• Illinoisans prefer the Alternative Retail Energy Supplier model (74%), more than rooftop solar (49%) and other home efficiency products and smart thermostats (60%).

"The new polling further bolsters the case that Illinois consumers are supportive of electricity supply options provided by Alternative Retail Energy Suppliers. The ability to choose clean energy is available to Illinoisans today because of the retail electricity market. These latest polling results closely mirror results from other states and past Illinois polling, confirming the broad support residents across the country have for energy choice," CleanChoice Energy said