As Politico noted in today’s Morning Energy, it’s exactly five years since the first application for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline was submitted to the Obama Administration—an anniversary that will not pass unnoticed:
A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee is holding a hearing at 10:15 a.m. called “Keystone’s Red Tape Anniversary: Five Years of Bureaucratic Delay and Economic Benefits Denied.” … Over in the Senate, a bipartisan group of lawmakers will hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. to mark the anniversary and press for approval of the project.
With today’s renewed focus on energy, we wanted to take the opportunity to provide you with some key findings of YG Networks’ ongoing public opinion research into that issue, which is a major focus of our organization:
- 90% of Americans say they have experienced higher energy costs. This includes 92% of conservatives, 92% of moderates, and 86% of liberals. (YGN National Poll, May 2013)
- 84% of Americans agree that we can focus on energy production and environmental protection at the same time. This includes 82% of conservatives, 87% of moderates, and 86% of liberals. (YGN National Poll, March 2013)
- Energy prices—including gas, an important pocketbook issue—are an even greater concern to Americans (88% ) than the national debt (71%) or government regulations (61%). (YGN National Poll, March 2013.)
- When informed that the U.S. has enough natural gas to meet our energy needs for 90 years, 65% of Americans agree that we should expand drilling offshore and on federal lands. This includes 83% of conservatives, 63% of moderates, and 44% of liberals. (YGN National Poll, May 2013)
The findings of YG Network’s middle-class focus groups, conducted over the summer, reinforce our national polling data. As the Wall Street Journal reported of our findings:
There was broad consensus among both groups (‘Swing’ and ‘Tea Party’) on the economic benefits of greater domestic oil and gas drilling, which includes the president’s approval of the controversial Keystone pipeline. “We need to do more with our resources,” said one tea-party voter in Minneapolis.
Here are a few more ‘verbatims’ from those focus group sessions:
- “Paychecks are shrinking—utilities are going up.” — Tea Party Participant, Phoenix, Ariz.
- “America has the largest gas and oil reserves? I say where is it? Let’s use it!” – Tea Party Participant, Phoenix, Ariz.
- “Fracking makes it possible that we have remarkable levels of natural gas [at our disposal].” — Swing Participant, Phoenix, Ariz.
The key takeaways from YG Network’s continued public opinion research on energy costs and energy independence are:
- Rising energy costs are a major factor in the lives of middle-class Americans, and that economic reality is the context for our national discussion on energy development.
- Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of developing our natural resources, especially when informed of the vast potential these resources hold for our economy and energy independence.
- Americans do not consider “developing energy” and “protecting the environment” to be an either/or proposition. Across the ideological spectrum, they want both things to happen and believe that balance to be achievable.
These points are important to keep in mind as we look at this important national issue.