Could it be that despite the economic recession, despite attacks by climate change skeptics, despite ferocious lobbying by the coal, oil and natural gas industries, despite NIMBYism, trust in American wind power is finally beginning to win the day?

Encouraging results from a new poll done in Nebraska, located on the Great Plains almost smack dab in the middle of the United States, suggest that might just be happening.

In a story headlined Poll finds overwhelming support for wind power in Nebraska, the Lincoln Journal Star reported earlier this week that 79% of state voters want electric utilities to use renewable energy sources for at least 20% of their power generation.

Released by the Center for Rural Affairs, American Wind Energy Association, and Wind Coalition and Energy Foundation, the poll found 94% of Nebraska voters have favourable impressions of wind power and 69% had strong favourable impressions.

The Lincoln Journal Star quoted John Crabtree of the Center for Rural Affairs as saying those polled supported renewables supplying 20% of future electricity generation out of concern over rising energy prices and national dependence on foreign oil.

The non-profit Center for Rural Affairs said the Global Strategy Group poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.