Why do Kentuckians reject certain climate change-relevant information and misinformation, and how does it affect their climate change policy beliefs?

While climate variability presents society with significant economic, health, and safety challenges, Kentuckians may view climate change as a minor concern due to its geological location and local politics. Climate change is a prime topic where partisan disagreement of fact and misinformation persist. Little is known about how Kentuckians understand climate change and renewable energy, which are critical to energy politics and policy decisions. This study aims to identify why and in what ways Kentuckians and local and state energy experts reject, rather than embrace, climate change-relevant information and misinformation, which, in turn, influences their climate change policy beliefs. We examine the roles of political ideology and mindsets playing in the dynamics of information-rejecting and policy beliefs. By recruiting 1,500 Kentuckians and 500 energy experts in the public sector, this study will survey their opinions and attitudes toward various climate change issues and analyze the data using mediation analysis. Also, the results from Kentucky will be compared to those of Arkansas, corroborating the findings from the most similar states having environmental, socioeconomic, and political features. Beyond these intellectual contributions, the survey will be used to gauge Kentuckians’ opinions and attitudes toward climate change issues and further generate practical insights about climate change policies perceived by Kentuckians. Lastly, the study develops a “proof-of-concept” paper that will aid in applying for external funding to support future research on information and misinformation dynamics in energy and climate conversations.