Energy Security, Supply are Top of Mind for Voters, Polling Shows
Megan Bloomgren
Posted April 7, 2022
Few top-of-mind issues motivate voters to put a pin in party politics, shelve state line squabbles and concede our commonalities faster than our nation’s energy costs, supply and security.
New polling conducted by Morning Consult last month on behalf of API substantiated this view again, with voters in both parties and independents surveyed in eight states – Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania – saying they:
- Support the United States developing its own domestic sources of energy rather than relying on other regions of the world;
- Agree that producing natural gas and oil in the U.S. could help lower energy costs for American consumers and small businesses, while strengthening America’s national security;
- Believe the energy crisis in Europe demonstrates the risk countries face when dependent on foreign sources with unknown agendas.
API President and CEO Mike Sommers:
“Given the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the rising cost of energy both at home and abroad, there is no question that access to secure, reliable and affordable energy is on voters’ minds across the country. U.S. energy leadership has been a priority of every one of our last seven presidents – Democrat and Republican – a trend this polling shows that voters want to continue.”
More Sommers:
“Energy security is not a partisan issue. And now is the time for this administration to advance policies that incentivize U.S. production and send a clear message that America is open for energy investment.”
The Morning Consult polls were conducted last month. Data was weighted to approximate a target sample of registered voters based on gender by age, education, race, marital status, home ownership, race by education, and 2020 presidential vote. API has called on the Biden administration to send a signal of certainty during this time of crisis, including providing clarity on natural gas and oil Leasing, permitting energy infrastructure and completing work on the next five-year program for offshore leasing.
Polling Summary Highlights:
- Eight in 10 voters – split almost evenly between Independents, Republicans and Democrats – in all of the states supported the U.S. developing its own domestic sources of energy rather than relying on other regions of the world.
- Nine of 10 voters in all eight states expressed concern about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
- Nearly 8 in 10 voters in all of the states believe that producing natural gas and oil here in the U.S. helps make our country and allies more secure against actions by other countries such as Russia.
About The Author
Megan Barnett Bloomgren is API's senior vice president for communications. She came to API in 2017 after serving as acting deputy chief of staff for the U.S. Department of the Interior, where she directed communications and policy-related actions for the secretary. Before joining the administration, Meg was a partner at DCI Group, a public affairs consulting firm in Washington, D.C. Prior to DCI, she led strategy and operations for the Institute for 21st Century Energy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which followed positions at the U.S. Energy Department, the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency. Meg is a graduate of La Salle University in Philadelphia.