Regional dynamics of public attitudes toward climate change policy, regulatory strategies, and the energy transition in the United States

Achieving substantial decarbonization in the United States requires broad public support across diverse regions, yet the geographic outline of policy endorsement remain underexplored. Addressing this gap, we analyze nationally representative survey data to assess attitudes toward renewable energy investment, carbon regulation, climate education, and fossil fuel development in eight U.S. regions. Grounded in polycentric governance theory, our approach links regional preferences to local economic dependencies and environmental priorities. Results show significant regional disparities: support for prioritizing clean energy development is highest in the Northeast at 69.1 % and lowest in the Northern Great Plains at 55.3 %. Northeastern and Northwestern residents strongly favor renewable energy, carbon regulation, and climate change education, whereas the Great Plains regions exhibit weaker backing for these policies and greater support for fossil fuel expansion. These findings highlight the political geography of the U.S. and energy transition, suggesting a one-size-fits-all federal climate strategy may overlook regional realities. This study recommends tailoring climate strategies to regional economic contexts to enhance policy durability. By incorporating regional opinion dynamics, this study advances understanding of how public attitudes can enable or constrain national climate goals.