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U.S. consumers want national energy
self-sufficiency, but say no to traditional energy plants in their
back yards
RBC Capital Markets survey
NEW YORK, June 5, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall
While nine out of ten people said the U.S. needs to find ways to produce more of its own oil rather than rely so heavily on foreign sources and eight of ten said they were concerned about the country's energy self-sufficiency, the vast majority of Americans oppose the construction of oil refineries or other traditional energy plants in their city or town, according to an annual energy survey released today by RBC Capital Markets, one of North America's leading energy investment banks. "We haven't built a new refinery in the U.S. in almost three decades," said RBC Capital Markets analyst Kurt Hallead. "Clearly the 'Not In My Backyard' phenomenon still prevails." The survey also found that compared to a year ago, Americans are far more concerned about global warming and climate change, and are increasingly conscious of the harm carbon dioxide emissions are causing. The majority of those polled (68 per cent) said they were in favor of carbon dioxide regulations, even if it meant higher energy costs, and 67 per cent said they would also pay more for cleaner fuels than pay less for fuels that pollute. Still, only a third say they are spending more time learning about what they can do and two-thirds admit they need to do more. "It's as if consumers are paralyzed by the magnitude of the problem, concerned about the price they will have to pay in their personal lives, and unsure that they can do anything about it," said Hallead. "To me, it's a clarion call for more public education. It's the only way for policy makers to address a situation where everyone wants energy self-sufficiency but no new traditional energy plants." Moreover, while the vast majority of Americans support government activities to increase energy conservation programs, develop alternative energy incentives, and reduce the nation's reliance on foreign oil, there is still resistance to policies or initiatives that intrude on Americans' lifestyles or pocketbooks. While the survey also found that Americans' number one concern was the quality of life for the next generation, concern for gas prices took precedence over "quality of the air I breathe" and climate change - in large part because three quarters of respondents said it would be impossible to live their life as it is today without owning a car. Eight in ten (78 per cent) said they were concerned about the price of gas and if they could afford to drive. In fact, sixty-seven per cent felt that Americans are too concerned with how energy prices affect their wallets and are losing sight of protecting the environment. "This crystallizes the dilemma faced by policy makers: the public clearly wants action, but not action that overly affects their way of life," said Marc Harris, RBC Capital Markets' Director of U.S. Equity Research. "One of the issues is getting people to practice what they preach. However, it was heartening to see that almost 70 per cent said they would consider a hybrid car in their next purchase and 58 per cent of SUV owners said they will try and buy a hybrid next time." On the issue of alternative energy, a resounding 87 per cent said the U.S. government needs to act immediately to encourage and reinforce the development of alternative energy sources with subsidies and incentives. Six in ten people said they would sanction the construction of a solar plant in their hometown and more than half (57 per cent) would endorse the construction of wind turbines in their hometowns. The RBC Capital Markets survey was conducted May 11 - 18, 2007 and included 1,001 online respondents. InsightExpress assisted RBC Capital Markets in the survey. The margin of error was +/-4.1 per cent. About RBC Capital Markets Global Energy RBC Capital Markets' Energy Group provides advice and raises capital for the energy and utilities sectors around the world, including exploration & production, oil field services, pipelines, MLPs, and refining and marketing. The firm provides award winning energy research that covers more than 200 energy companies around the world. In 2006, its energy analysts received top rankings from independent research survey firms for stock picking, earnings estimates and research coverage in the oil, gas & consumable fuels industry, integrated oil and gas, oil and gas exploration, oil services and utilities. RBC is one of the most experienced banks in the world in oils sands financing, and is a Nomad on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). SOURCE RBC Capital Markets News Provided By |
