Democrats have supported increased domestic renewable energy development, including wind and solar power farms, in an effort to reduce carbon pollution. The party's platform calls for an "all of the above" energy policy including clean energy, natural gas and domestic oil, with the desire of becoming energy independent. The party has supported higher taxes on oil companies and increased regulations on coal power plants, favoring a policy of reducing long-term reliance on fossil fuels. Additionally, the party supports stricter fuel emissions standards to prevent air pollution.

The Republican Party has called for a more aggressive strategy for their development, especially for solar, wind, hydro, tidal, geothermal, and biomass energy. Rather than focus on federal research, however, the party believes in market-based research on the technology and partnerships between emerging renewable energy industries and current energy industries.

Over the past three or four years, the party’s stance on renewable energy has become stronger as it calls for the introduction of renewable energy resources into the mainstream. One of its most unique strategies is the advocacy of long-term tax credit for renewable energy sources.