A majority of Americans support tougher pollution limits on coal-burning power plants even if it means paying more for electricity.

The survey of 1,275 adults backs President Barack Obama's efforts to bypass Congress and enact climate regulations by executive authority. Two-thirds of those polled by researchers at Yale and George Mason universities support limits on carbon dioxide emissions even after being told such measures would raise power prices, they said on Wednesday.

US President Barack Obama during his Brisbane speech last weekend. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The survey also reveals a "misunderstanding" of climate change as only one in 10 of those polled said they know that more than 90 per cent of climate scientists say humans are contributing to global warming. Just half blame human activity while even fewer are "very worried" about climate change.

"Very few Americans are aware that 97 per cent of climate scientists agree that global warming is human caused," the authors said. "This public misunderstanding of the scientific consensus -- which has been found in each of our surveys since 2008 -- has significant consequences."