Environmental Polling Roundup – May 5, 2023
HEADLINES
Climate Power + Earthjustice + Data for Progress – Amid permitting reform debate, voters want to prioritize clean energy over fossil fuels while also maintaining environmental protections (Memo, Crosstabs)
Protect Our Coasts – Voters – including those in coastal states – don’t want to expand offshore drilling (National Voter Memo, Coastal Voter Memo)
[NV] Nevada Independent + Noble Predictive Insights – Nevada voters are deeply concerned about water issues, and few believe that the state is doing enough to address climate change (Article)
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- When it comes to permitting reform, voters don’t want environmental protections lifted for fossil fuel projects or for clean energy projects. Climate Power, Earthjustice, and Data for Progress find that voters oppose lifting environmental and health protections for energy projects regardless of whether they prioritize clean energy or fossil fuels. Majorities across party lines also say that the government can and should develop energy while maintaining existing environmental and health protections, as the public rejects the idea that U.S. energy development isn’t compatible with existing environmental laws.
- Overarching arguments against H.R. 1 are more compelling than the specific policies it contains. Climate Power, Earthjustice, and Data for Progress additionally find that the core energy policies included in congressional Republicans’ H.R. 1 package are all unpopular. However, no one specific policy engenders so much opposition as to be completely toxic. We’ve seen similar data in other polls about H.R. 1 and accordingly recommend that persuasive communications about the package focus on overarching frames – such as the notion that it will further enrich Big Oil CEOs at the expense of everyday people and public health and that it will eliminate core safeguards for the environment and public health – rather than specific policies.
- Water continues to be an everyday concern in the West. Polling commissioned by the Nevada Independent finds that Nevadans are deeply concerned about water availability and the condition of the Colorado River, as the water situation in the West continues to be one of the clearest examples in the country of an environmental issue that has broken through as a top-of-mind concern for the public.
GOOD DATA POINTS TO HIGHLIGHT
- [Permitting Reform] 87% of voters say it’s important to incorporate the concerns of communities that are potentially impacted by new energy projects in project planning and decision making, including 53% who say it’s “very important” [Climate Power + Earthjustice + Data for Progress]
- [Transmission] 81% of voters support developing new energy transmission projects, such as power lines, to expand America’s power grid [Climate Power + Earthjustice + Data for Progress]
- [Clean Energy] 67% of voters, including majorities across party lines, prefer that the federal government increases American energy by increasing clean energy like wind and solar rather than increasing offshore drilling for oil and gas [Protect Our Coasts]
- [Clean Energy] By a 56%-39% margin, voters say that the United States should prioritize clean energy over fossil fuel projects in order to strengthen the country’s energy security [Climate Power + Earthjustice + Data for Progress]
- [H.R. 1] By a 52%-40% margin, voters oppose repealing rebates for Americans who purchase energy-efficient electric appliances for their homes [Climate Power + Earthjustice + Data for Progress]
- [H.R. 1] By a 49%-40% margin, voters oppose repealing the methane fee for oil and gas companies [Climate Power + Earthjustice + Data for Progress]
- [Nevada] 46% of Nevada voters say that the state isn’t doing enough to address climate change, compared to just 11% who say that the state is doing too much and 25% who say that the state is doing the right amount [Nevada Independent + Noble Predictive Insights]
FULL ROUNDUP
Climate Power + Earthjustice + Data for Progress – Amid permitting reform debate, voters want to prioritize clean energy over fossil fuels while also maintaining environmental protections (Memo, Crosstabs)
This newly released poll provides fresh data on the permitting reform debate, finding that voters don’t want to expedite energy projects if it means getting rid of existing environmental and health protections.
The poll finds that voters clearly want to keep current environmental and health protections in place, regardless of whether they prioritize clean energy or fossil fuels.
When asked for their preference across two dimensions of energy policy – prioritizing clean energy vs. fossil fuels and keeping vs. removing current environmental and health protections for energy projects – the majority of Americans fall into the “prioritize clean energy + keep current environmental and health protections” bucket:
- 52% agree most that “we should make it easier to develop clean energy projects and keep current environmental and health protections”
- 24% agree most that “we should make it easier to develop fossil fuel energy projects and keep current environmental and health protections”
- 11% agree most that “we should make it easier to develop fossil fuel energy projects, even if that means removing current environmental and health protections”
- 7% agree most that “we should make it easier to develop clean energy projects, even if that means removing current environmental and health protections”
As the figures above show, those who want to expedite clean energy and those who want to expedite fossil fuels both would prefer to keep existing environmental and health protections in place. In fact, the smallest segment here is the “clean energy at all costs” group who care so much about expediting clean energy projects that they’re willing to sacrifice environmental and health protections in the process.
And when asked to weigh energy development against existing environmental laws specifically in the context of congressional Republicans’ recent energy proposals, voters from both parties say that the government can and should develop energy without weakening existing environmental protections.
Poll respondents were informed that Republicans in Congress “have proposed legislation that would eliminate environmental and health protections to streamline the development of energy infrastructure and increase domestic energy exports” and that this proposal “implies that the government can either make it easier to build new energy infrastructure to increase domestic oil and gas production or keep several environmental protections in place that safeguard people’s health, but that the government cannot do both.”
In response, most voters reject the idea that domestic energy production and existing environmental protections are incompatible:
- 56% agree most that “the government can and should do both by quickly developing energy infrastructure that meets health and environmental law requirements that keep communities safe”
- 25% agree most that “the government should focus on keeping environmental laws intact to protect public health”
- 10% agree most that “the government should focus on fast-tracking energy infrastructure”
Majorities of Democrats (55%), independents (58%), and Republicans (57%) agree most with the idea that the government “can and should do both” when it comes to developing energy and maintaining existing environmental protections.
Additionally, even after being told that their party’s leaders are trying to roll back environmental laws in order to expedite energy development, Republican voters are about equally likely to side with the argument that the government “should focus on keeping existing environmental laws intact to protect public health” (16%) as they are to side with the argument that “the government should focus on fast-tracking energy infrastructure” (17%).
In terms of prioritizing different energy sources, meanwhile, voters continue to show a clear preference for clean energy over fossil fuels.
When asked which approach they prefer to strengthen America’s energy security, most voters say that the country should prioritize “clean energy projects, like solar and wind projects and the power lines needed for them” (56%) over “fossil fuel projects, like oil and gas drilling, gas power plants, and pipelines” (39%).
The poll also finds that the core pieces of congressional Republicans’ recent energy proposals are unpopular with voters, including:
- Repealing all restrictions on the import and export of methane gas, including liquefied natural gas or LNG (36% support / 44% oppose)
- Shortening the permitting process under the Clean Water Act and limiting review to water quality impacts only (37% support / 45% oppose)
- Repealing the methane gas tax established under the Clean Air Act designed to reduce methane emissions and waste from petroleum and natural gas systems (37% support / 47% oppose)
- Repealing the methane fee for oil and gas companies (40% support / 49% oppose)
- Repealing rebates for Americans who purchase energy-efficient electric appliances for their homes (40% support / 52% oppose)
It’s worth noting that, while all of these proposals are underwater, none engender particularly strong or overwhelming opposition. For messaging against H.R. 1 and related proposals, therefore, we recommend a focus on overarching points rather than policy specifics – such as arguments that these proposals will allow Big Oil CEOs to make even bigger profits by pumping more toxic pollution into our air and water and that they eliminate core environmental protections to protect our public health, air, and water.
Recent polling by Global Strategy Group, for example, tested a variety of messages against H.R. 1 and found that a statement tying it to Big Oil CEOs was the most persuasive.
Protect Our Coasts – Voters – including those in coastal states – don’t want to expand offshore drilling (National Voter Memo, Coastal Voter Memo)
Recent polling commissioned by the Protect Our Coasts coalition finds that voters don’t want to expand offshore drilling.
Additionally, their polling indicates that expanding drilling is a particularly risky proposition for President Biden given his struggles with young voters and other environmentally-conscious constituencies in the wake of the Willow decision.
Pulling some of the key points from their public memo, with emphasis added in bold:
“Most voters do not want to expand offshore drilling. Voters across the political spectrum understand that the risks outweigh any perceived benefits, and a proposal to prevent new offshore drilling is more popular than expanding drilling…. When told that the government currently leases 2,287 sections of ocean for offshore drilling, more voters would prefer to either decrease the area available for drilling (24 percent) or eliminate offshore drilling (15 percent) than would prefer to increase (23 percent). A quarter say they would rather continue existing drilling but not increase the area available.
Majorities of Democratic voters (53 percent) and voters under 30 (52 percent) want to either decrease the area available for offshore drilling or eliminate offshore drilling entirely.
Voters support a proposal to prevent new offshore drilling by a net margin of 16 points (50% favor / 34% oppose)….”
Key findings among coastal voters include that:
“More coastal voters favor preventing new offshore drilling than favor increasing drilling. This is especially true in Florida, where support for preventing new drilling is 14 points higher than support for increasing drilling.
Over half of voters in Florida (56 percent), North Carolina (51 percent), Gulf states (54 percent), and the South Atlantic (51 percent) are very concerned about the impact offshore drilling has on pollution to the air and water. Similar numbers are very concerned about the safety of marine life and seafood (which is a top concern for Republicans).
Voters in key coastal states think it is important personally to protect marine life and public lands and waters, which influences their views on offshore drilling.”
And on Biden’s standing on climate issues and his struggles with base audiences:
“There is disappointment and pressure from Democratic voters on climate and energy issues. Young people are particularly dissatisfied with what they perceive to be a lack of action on climate…
President Biden’s favorability and job approval ratings are underwater, including when it comes to climate. His rating on combating climate change is 34 percent excellent/good to 57 percent just fair/poor.
Voters under 30 disapprove of Biden overall (net -16) and even more on climate (net – 31) and protecting the environment (net-37).”
[NV] Nevada Independent + Noble Predictive Insights – Nevada voters are deeply concerned about water issues, and few believe that the state is doing enough to address climate change (Article)
This new poll commissioned by the Nevada Independent finds that Nevadans disagree with Republican governor Joe Lombardo’s approach on climate change.
While Lombardo is working to roll back the climate policies of his Democratic predecessor, Steve Sisolak, 46% say the state is not doing enough to address climate change and only 11% say the state is “doing too much” on the issue. An additional one-quarter of voters (25%) say the state is doing the right amount on climate change.
The poll additionally finds that water issues – and particularly the low water levels in the Colorado River – remain highly salient. Nearly nine in ten voters (87%) say that they’re at least “somewhat” concerned about the possibility of a long-term drought affecting Nevada’s water supplies. The overwhelming majority (86%) also say that they’re concerned about low water levels in the Colorado River, including a majority (53%) who say that they’re “very” concerned about the Colorado River.Recent polling has revealed deep anxiety about water availability in western states like Nevada, and this new poll confirms that water issues remain a top-of-mind concern in the state.
Related Resources
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