Poll: Voters Support Commonsense, All-the-Above Energy Policies Championed by Republicans

New poll finds ‘energy’ is least partisan issue, also reveals: more Americans (up 14 percent) say they’ve been impacted by climate change; overwhelming support (more than 80 percent) for conservative-led policies to reduce emissions; and, strong opposition (71 percent) to banning natural gas when told it would create energy shortages and cause rising prices. 

WASHINGTON, February 28, 2022 — Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) today announced the results of its national survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, which found Americans across party lines overwhelmingly support “commonsense” policies to reduce emissions that cause climate change—ranging from tax incentives to reducing regulatory red tape, to holding foreign countries to their climate commitments. Further, voters continue to support the federal government taking more action to address climate change—60 percent—which includes accelerating the development and use of clean energy—70 percent.

“Voters want realistic climate solutions and support energy and climate policies authored and championed by many Republicans in Congress. Alternatively, our data show Republican and independent voters oppose heavy-handed policies typically backed by Democrats such as higher fossil fuel taxes and the elimination of natural gas from our energy mix,” said Heather Reams, President of CRES.

“60 percent of voters—including 37 percent of Republicans and 66 percent of independents—say the U.S. government should be doing more to address climate change,” said Neil Newhouse, co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies, who conducted the poll. “The data clearly shows that voters are more likely to support a candidate who endorses ‘commonsense’ policies addressing climate change and clean energy; that’s especially the case for key swing 2022 constituencies.”

Policies supported by at least 80% of all voters:

1. Providing tax credits to homeowners to replace home appliances and windows with more energy-efficient models.
2. Holding foreign countries, such as China, responsible for their emission-reduction pledges so that they are comparable to U.S. efforts.
3. Providing tax credits for individuals and companies that invest in clean energy generation in the U.S.
4. Reducing regulatory and bureaucratic obstacles to building clean energy infrastructure.
5. Providing tax incentives to businesses to capture carbon emissions.
6. Increasing federal government investing in research & development to accelerate the use of battery storage.

“Natural gas stood out as one of the key solutions voters believe can help the U.S. transition to a cleaner economy,” Reams continued. “Most Americans say natural gas is affordable, plentiful, reliable, clean, and will be an important part of building an energy-independent, all-of-the-above energy mix for decades to come. More than half of Americans oppose banning natural gas for cooking or heating uses in the construction of new family homes. When voters are informed that a natural gas ban ‘would result in energy shortages and rising prices,’ opposition to the ban surges to 71 percent.

“The CRES poll shows a staggering increase in voters—even Republicans—who say their lives have been impacted by climate change—a 14 percent increase overall from just one year ago,” Reams continued. “And, older Americans say they see the impact, too—a 22 percent jump in 55–64-year-olds and 17 percent increase for those 65 and older. Additionally, 82 percent of Americans believe human-caused pollution contributes to climate change—independents overwhelmingly do at 84 percent, and Republicans at 69 percent.

“Finally, our poll reveals ‘energy’ is the least partisan issue for voters and environmental issues such as climate change is the most partisan issue. The economy remains the top priority for voters. These are significant findings as we approach midterm elections: Republicans who tout commonsense climate solutions, especially those with economic and energy lens, will attract independent voters and not alienate their base,” Reams concluded.

Find the polling results here.

Find a printable one-pager on the polling results here. 

Methodology:

These findings are based on results from a poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies from February 4-8, 2022. This poll was fielded among 1,000 registered voters nationwide and has a margin of error of +3.53%.

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Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) engages Republican policymakers and the public about responsible, conservative solutions to address our nation’s energy, economic, and environmental security while increasing America’s competitive edge. For more information, visit www.CRESenergy.com.