According to the U-Texas Energy Poll, almost 78% of Americans are concerned about the cost of electricity. This is the second major concern, after gasoline prices. (Credit: Flickr @ Brendan Wood http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanwood/)
According to the latest University of Texas Energy Poll, that was conducted between September 5 and 23, 2013, among 2,144 U.S. residents aged 18 and over, Americans are loosing interest in energy issues. Compared to any time in the past two years, they find energy less important and don’t worry too much about saving it at home. At the same time Americans are becoming increasingly worried about the environmental impacts of energy.
Since September 2011, the poll has taken a twice-yearly snapshot of American attitudes toward energy. This fifth round paints a broader portrait of how they’re changing over time. Energy is still a strong concern, deemed as important by 62 percent of respondents, down from 67 percent a year ago.
What isn’t so clear is why interest is waning, says poll director Sheril Kirshenbaum. She suggests lighter news coverage as one factor.
“Prior to the election, energy was everywhere,” she observes. “This year, there have been no major storms like Superstorm Sandy, or a major drought affecting people’s livelihoods. The subject hasn’t been thrown in front of them.”
Kirshenbaum fears that lower interest may lead to lower energy literacy. She notes that 58 percent of the survey respondents named Saudi Arabia as America’s largest source of imported oil. Only 13 percent gave the correct answer: Canada. Says Kirshenbaum, “There appears to be a lack of engagement and a lack of understanding on many issues.”
Among other things, the poll shows that:
- Almost three of every four consumers believe global climate change is occurring. That figure has held steady over the past year, notes Kirshenbaum, up from 65 percent in March 2012.
- Support for the Keystone XL pipeline has slid over the past year and a half, from 50 down to 41 percent. Approval for expanded drilling in the Gulf of Mexico has followed a similar track, from 46 percent down to 40.
- Support for natural gas development remains strong, at 61 percent. Consumers see jobs and lower prices as the fuel’s top benefits, and 57 percent also believe natural gas production reduces carbon emissions.
- Among those familiar with hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” support has declined from 48 to 38 percent. The percentage wanting more regulation has climbed 5 points, to 43, with water contamination as the No. 1 fear. (According to another poll conducted in May by the University of Michigan, respondents in Michigan and Pennsylvania say that fracking is important to the economy, but support a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing while potential risks are more fully studied.)
- Forty-eight percent are dissatisfied with President Barack Obama’s handling of energy issues, versus 22 percent who are satisfied. For Congress, the negative numbers are even more lopsided: 62 percent con, 9 percent pro.
- Seventy percent of respondents concerned about depletion of water resources. Water is a bigger worry than energy conservation, renewables and carbon emissions.
