Americans Want More Emphasis on Solar, Wind, Natural Gas
Oil, nuclear, and coal are more popular with Republicans and in the
South
March 27, 2013
by Dennis Jacobe, Chief Economist
PRINCETON, NJ -- No fewer than two in three Americans want the U.S. to
put more emphasis on producing domestic energy using solar power (76%),
wind (71%), and natural gas (65%). Far fewer want to emphasize the
production of oil (46%) and the use of nuclear power (37%). Least
favored is coal, with about one in three Americans wanting to prioritize
its domestic production.
Democrats' and independents' top choice is solar power, while natural
gas places first among Republicans. Republicans and Democrats disagree
most on the priority that should be given to oil as a future energy
source -- with 71% of Republicans wanting more emphasis placed on it,
compared with 29% among Democrats. Republicans are also much more
supportive than Democrats of coal (51% vs. 21%) and nuclear power (49%
vs. 30%).
Where Americans live makes a difference in their views about which
sources of domestic energy they want the U.S. to emphasize more. Those
living in the South tend to be more supportive of traditional energy
sources such as oil and coal than are those in other regions.
Still, for Americans in every region, including the South, solar power
is the top choice, or is tied for the top spot, among the energy sources
tested.
Implications
The United States has a great opportunity to accelerate its economic
growth over the next several years by emphasizing and fully using its
enormous energy riches to produce domestic energy. But there has been no
consensus among Americans about how to optimize domestic energy
production while preserving the environment.
Americans overall and across political and socioeconomic groups
generally are most likely to call for more emphasis on solar and wind
power -- but these potential future sources of energy have a long way to
go in terms of technology and affordability before they can
significantly affect overall U.S. domestic energy production. On the
other hand, Americans are sharply divided politically over achieving
greater domestic energy production using more traditional energy sources
such as oil, coal, and nuclear power.
This leaves natural gas, which 59% of Democrats, 62% of independents,
and 79% of Republicans say should have more emphasis in the U.S. The
technology exists to allow natural gas to become a more significant
contributor to U.S. domestic energy production. But questions remain
about the safety of "fracking technology" -- meaning public support may
not be enough to increase the U.S. emphasis on this energy source.
Survey Methods
Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted
March 7-10, 2013, with a random sample of 1,022 adults, aged 18 and
older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say
with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±4
percentage points.
Interviews are conducted with respondents on landline telephones and
cellular phones, with interviews conducted in Spanish for respondents
who are primarily Spanish-speaking. Each sample of national adults
includes a minimum quota of 50% cellphone respondents and 50% landline
respondents, with additional minimum quotas by region. Landline
telephone numbers are chosen at random among listed telephone numbers.
Cellphones numbers are selected using random digit dial methods.
Landline respondents are chosen at random within each household on the
basis of which member had the most recent birthday.
Samples are weighted to correct for unequal selection probability,
nonresponse, and double coverage of landline and cell users in the two
sampling frames. They are also weighted to match the national
demographics of gender, age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, education,
region, population density, and phone status (cellphone only/landline
only/both, cellphone mostly, and having an unlisted landline number).
Demographic weighting targets are based on the March 2012 Current
Population Survey figures for the aged 18 and older U.S. population.
Phone status targets are based on the July-December 2011 National Health
Interview Survey. Population density targets are based on the 2010
census. All reported margins of sampling error include the computed
design effects for weighting.
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical
difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the
findings of public opinion polls.
View methodology, full question results, and trend data.
For more details on Gallup's polling methodology, visit
www.gallup.com.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/161519/americans-emphasis-solar-wind-natural-gas.aspx
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