Young people are ready to pay higher prices for energy to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment, according to a new University of Texas poll, providing evidence of a vast generation gap on energy policy.

Cynics may argue that the willingness to pay more for a cleaner environment is simply youthful idealism, but it could also reflect the outlook of people who are growing up in a more crowded world and therefore are more exposed to pollution and health problems. This is the generation with the highest rate of asthma ever recorded.

"Consumer perspectives on energy issues continue to track political party lines, but we're seeing a widening gulf among older and younger Americans," said Sheril Kirshenbaum, director of the UT Energy Poll.

What is particularly interesting is that younger people are buying automobiles later in life and are more likely to use public transportation or car pools.

On larger policy issues, twice as many young people supported the export of natural gas than older people. That difference likely reflects the older generations' memories of the energy crisis in the 1970s. People under 35 years of age also support subsidies for renewable energy, despite suffering the most from the Great Recession.

University of Texas Energy Poll • Fifty-six percent of younger consumers say they are willing to pay much higher prices to protect the environment, compared with only 20 percent of respondents age 65 and older.

• Sixty-eight percent of survey respondents under age 35 say they would be more likely to vote for candidates who support steps to reduce carbon emissions, compared with 50 percent of those age 65 and older.

• Support for renewable sources of energy is considerably stronger among younger consumers, with nearly 2 out of 3 (65 percent) favoring an expansion of financial incentives for companies engaged in renewable technologies. Less than half of older respondents (48 percent) say they would support candidates who endorse such incentives. Likewise, 62 percent of younger respondents favor requiring utilities to obtain a percentage of their electricity from renewable sources, versus 48 percent of older voters.

• Younger consumers also strongly support subsidies for renewable energy, with 72 percent saying they back federal government support, compared with 58 percent among Americans age 65 and older.

• Fifty-two percent of respondents 65 and older say they are familiar with hydraulic fracturing for fossil fuel extraction, compared with 39 percent of younger Americans. Among those familiar with the term, only 37 percent of younger survey respondents support its use, compared with more than half (52 percent) of Americans age 65 and older. --University of Texas at Austin

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There's also a generation gap on hydraulic fracturing, with twice as many older people knowing the term and the majority supporting the technique. But among the young people familiar with fracking, the majority opposed it.

Energy companies should be concerned about the poll's results and think about how they can win the younger generation's trust. But there's no rush.

The UT poll also found that younger people are unlikely to vote, while older people will. Progressives and environmentalists may be heartened to know young people are getting their messages, they will be disappointed at the ballot box where it really counts.