With the contestants in November’s presidential election now apparently set, voters are beginning to think about what will be important to them in choosing a commander in chief. A new poll out this week from the Pew Research Center found that 61% of respondents ranked energy as “very important” to their decision.

As the NRDC Action Fund’s Running Clean report showed, clean energy presents candidates with a positive, solutions-based narrative to talk about issues that matter most to Americans: jobs, the economy, gas prices, and the health of their families.

With President Obama and Governor Romney running neck in neck according to the same poll, clean energy provides an opportunity for the President to distinguish himself and win over voters who care about reducing our dependence on oil, improving our national security and building a new economy based on the American spirit of innovation.

As the campaign heats up, we’ll continue to follow the way these “very important” energy issues are playing here on the stump and on the airwaves here on the blog and on our Facebook page. We hope you’ll join us.