Can solar energy become polarized? Understanding the role of expressive and negative partisanship in support for solar tax credits

Abstract

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 is perhaps the most ambitious federal legislation aimed at decarbonizing the energy system. The IRA expanded investment tax credits (ITCs) for households that install rooftop solar, providing an important catalyst to encourage households to adopt this innovation. Although the IRA is promising, the transition to renewables has been slow and marred by partisan polarization and legislative gridlock. We suggest that renewable energy policies, such as ITCs, could become polarized. Our results imply that partisan polarization around solar ITCs is currently modest, but such policies could become polarized in the future. Expressive partisans—those for whom partisanship is a salient social identity—and negative partisans differ from other partisans. Opponents of renewable energy could potentially leverage negative and expressive partisanship to create opposition. However, this outcome is not inevitable. We suggest that policymakers and renewable energy advocates should develop strategies to avoid partisan polarization.