What America Is Thinking On Energy Issues

Prepared for the American Petroleum Institute

August 14, 2012
Harris Interactive

Methodology
Background/Objectives: Evaluate opinion among registered voters regarding thoughts on increased access to oil and natural gas resources. Audience: 1,016 registered voters Methodology: Telephone interviews Interview Dates: August 9th 12th 2012

Harris Interactive

Voters voice strong support for increased access to domestic oil and natural gas resources.
Do you support or oppose increased access to domestic oil and natural gas resources?

47%

9%

17%
8%

71%

24%

Strongly support

Somewhat support

Somewhat oppose

Strongly oppose

BASE: All Respondents (N=1,016) Q2 Do you support or oppose increased access to domestic oil and natural gas resources?

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Increased access to ONG resources by Party and Age

Do you support or oppose increased access to domestic oil and natural gas resources?

Party
33%
47%
60% 85% 72% 71%

Age

47%
67%
71%

41%

35% 45%
66% 72%

54%
73%

27% 24% 8% 9% Total 18% 2% 7% 5% Republican Strongly agree 31% 12%

17%

31% 24%
28%

27% 19% 9%
22%

12% 17% 5% Independent Somewhat agree

16% Democrat

17%

8% 9% Total 13% 18-34

9% 8% 35-54

17%

8% 8% 55+

16%

Strongly agree
Somewhat disagree

Somewhat agree
Strongly disagree

Somewhat disagree

Strongly disagree

BASE: All Respondents (Total N=1,016; GOP N=339, Independent N=248, Democrat N=323; 18-34 N=187, 35-54 N=366, 55+ N=452) Q2 Do you support or oppose increased access to domestic oil and natural gas resources?

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Voters agree that increased access to domestic resources could lead to more American jobs.
Please indicate your agreement with the following: Increased access to domestic oil and natural gas resources could lead to more American jobs.

65%

90%
4%

7%

3%

25%

Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

Somewhat disagree

Strongly disagree

BASE: All Respondents (N=1,016) Q3 Please indicate your level of agreement with the following:

Harris Interactive

Statement Agreement by Party and Age

Please indicate your agreement with the following: Increased access to domestic oil and natural gas resources could lead to more American jobs.

Party

Age

49%
65% 77%
90% 95% 91% 85% 90%

65%

65%

58% 74%
93% 89%

67%
90%

36% 25% 18%

7%

26% 2% 2% Republican Strongly agree Somewhat disagree

4%

25% 6% 12% 6% Democrat

31%

19%
7%

23% 4% 4% 55+
8%

3% 4% Total

3%

3% 6%

3% 4% Total

Independent

5% 2%3% 18-34

3% 8% 5% 35-54

Somewhat agree Strongly disagree

Strongly agree Somewhat disagree

Somewhat agree Strongly disagree

BASE: All Respondents (Total N=1,016; GOP N=339, Independent N=248, Democrat N=323; 18-34 N=187, 35-54 N=366, 55+ N=452) Q3 Please indicate your level of agreement with the following:

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Agreement is high that accessing more domestic oil and natural gas could help lower energy costs for consumers.
Please indicate your agreement with the following: Accessing more oil and natural gas here in the U.S. could help lower energy costs for American consumers.

62%

6%

87%
6%

12%

25%

Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

Somewhat disagree

Strongly disagree

BASE: All Respondents (N=1,016) Q3 Please indicate your level of agreement with the following:

Harris Interactive

Statement Agreement by Party and Age

Please indicate your agreement with the following: Accessing more oil and natural gas here in the U.S. could help lower energy costs for American consumers.

Party

Age

62% 78%
87% 95%

54%
81%

52%
82%

62%
87%

65%
89%

59%
88%

64%
85%

27% 25%
12%

29% 25% 24% 5% 11% 6% 18-34 29% 21% 6% 14% 8% 55+ 8% 17% 9% Democrat

6% 6% Total

17% 1% 3% Republican Strongly agree Somewhat disagree

4%

7%
11%

17%

12%

6% 6% Total

6% 10% 4%
35-54

Independent

Somewhat agree Strongly disagree

Strongly agree Somewhat disagree

Somewhat agree Strongly disagree

BASE: All Respondents (Total N=1,016; GOP N=339, Independent N=248, Democrat N=323; 18-34 N=187, 35-54 N=366, 55+ N=452) Q3 Please indicate your level of agreement with the following:

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Voters agree that increases in energy taxes could drive up energy costs.
Please indicate your agreement with the following: Increasing energy taxes, like taxes on oil and natural gas companies, hurts everyone because those tax increases could drive up energy costs for consumers.

44% 21%

65%
32%
11% 21%

Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

Somewhat disagree

Strongly disagree

BASE: All Respondents (N=1,016) Q3 Please indicate your level of agreement with the following:

Harris Interactive

Statement Agreement by Party and Age

Please indicate your agreement with the following: Increasing energy taxes, like taxes on oil and natural gas companies, hurts everyone because those tax increases could drive up energy costs for consumers.

Party

Age

44%
65%

39% 52%
63% 73%

40%
59% 65%

44%

40%
67%

47%
66%

44%
63%

21% 21% 11%

32%

24%

19%
11%

21% 11%

27% 8% 23% 18-34

31%

19% 11%
31%

19% 13%
33%

8% 21% Total 16%

24%

19%
35%

39%

28%

32%

15% Independent Democrat

21% Total

20% 35-54

20% 55+

Republican

Strongly agree Somewhat disagree

Somewhat agree Strongly disagree

Strongly agree Somewhat disagree

Somewhat agree Strongly disagree

BASE: All Respondents (Total N=1,016; GOP N=339, Independent N=248, Democrat N=323; 18-34 N=187, 35-54 N=366, 55+ N=452) Q3 Please indicate your level of agreement with the following:

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Voters support changing policies to allow more offshore development.

Current federal government restrictions keep more than 85% of Americas offshore areas off-limits to development of domestic oil and natural gas resources. Do you support or oppose changing those policies so more domestic energy can be developed?

49%

13%

20%
7% 24%

73%

Strongly support

Somewhat support

Somewhat oppose

Strongly oppose

BASE: All Respondents (N=1,016) Q4 Do you support or oppose changing those policies so more domestic energy can be developed?

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Increased Offshore Drilling Support by Party and Age

Current federal government restrictions keep more than 85% of Americas offshore areas off-limits to development of domestic oil and natural gas resources. Do you support or oppose changing those policies so more domestic energy can be developed?

Party

Age

49%
73%

42% 68%
85% 69%

37% 49%
64% 73%

43% 59%
78% 74%

50%
70%

27% 24% 7%
20%

27% 24% 31% 19%

28%

20% 9%

17% 3% 5%
9%

7% 19%
26%

10% 7%
20%

13% Total

18% Democrat

5% 12% 18-34
17%

6% 10% 35-54
16%

13% Total

15% 55+

24%

Republican Strongly support Somewhat oppose

Independent

Somewhat support Strongly oppose

Strongly support Somewhat oppose

Somewhat support Strongly oppose

BASE: All Respondents (Total N=1,016; GOP N=339, Independent N=248, Democrat N=323; 18-34 N=187, 35-54 N=366, 55+ N=452) Q4 Do you support or oppose changing those policies so more domestic energy can be developed?

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Support for development of the Keystone XL Pipeline is high.

Canada has 170 Billion barrels of oil underground. A pipeline the Keystone XL pipeline has been proposed to help bring more of that Canadian oil into the U.S. for use in American refineries. Do you support or oppose the building of the Keystone XL Pipeline?

57%

12%

19%
7%

75%

17%

Strongly support

Somewhat support

Somewhat oppose

Strongly oppose

BASE: All Respondents (N=1,016) Q5 Do you support or oppose the building of the Keystone XL pipeline?

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Keystone XL Pipeline Support by Party and Age

Canada has 170 Billion barrels of oil underground. A pipeline the Keystone XL pipeline has been proposed to help bring more of that Canadian oil into the U.S. for use in American refineries. Do you support or oppose the building of the Keystone XL Pipeline?

Party

Age

57%
75%

54% 73%
89% 69%

47%

66%

75%

57%

63% 75%

53%
74%

59%
75%

17%
19%

15%

19% 17% 9%
25% 26%

12% 5% 18% 18-34 Strongly support Somewhat oppose

23%

21% 8% 10% 35-54

18%

16% 7% 11% 55+

18%

7% 12% Total

10%
16% 3% 4% Republican
7%

7%
19%

15%

17% Democrat

12% Total

Independent

Strongly support Somewhat oppose

Somewhat support Strongly oppose

Somewhat support Strongly oppose

BASE: All Respondents (Total N=1,016; GOP N=339, Independent N=248, Democrat N=323; 18-34 N=187, 35-54 N=366, 55+ N=452) Q5 Do you support or oppose the building of the Keystone XL pipeline?

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Energy issues loom large for voters when thinking about the election.
As you look ahead to the election in November, how important to you is the issue of Americas energy security and producing more oil and natural gas here at home?

66%

3%

8%

92%

4%

26%

Very Important

Somewhat Important

Not Very Important

Not Important At All

BASE: All Respondents (N=1,016) Q6 As you look ahead to the election in November, how important to you is the issue of Americas energy security and producing more oil and natural gas here at home?

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ONG Importance to Election by Party and Age

As you look ahead to the election in November, how important to you is the issue of Americas energy security and producing more oil and natural gas here at home?

Party

Age

92%

98%

66%

53% 87%

62% 88%
92%

76%

66%

60%
89%

66%

94%

69%

91%

34% 26% 22%

8%

26% 6% 5% Democrat
11% 8%

26% 4% 3% Total

29%
28% 1% 10% 11% 18-34 4% 1% 35-54
6%

22% 6% 2% 55+
8%

4% 3% Total

1% Republican

2%

7% 5%

12%

Independent

Very important Not very important

Somewhat important Not at all important

Very important Not very important

Somewhat important Not at all important

BASE: All Respondents (Total N=1,016; GOP N=339, Independent N=248, Democrat N=323; 18-34 N=187, 35-54 N=366, 55+ N=452) Q6 As you look ahead to the election in November, how important to you is the issue of Americas energy security and producing more oil and natural gas here at home?

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16

Voters feel that Washington is on the wrong track regarding US energy policy.
Regarding U.S. energy policy, do you think Washington is currently on the right track or is it currently on the wrong track?

47% 10%

26%
63%
16%

17%

Strongly Right Direction

Somewhat Right Direction

Somewhat Wrong Track

Strongly Wrong Track

BASE: All Respondents (N=1,016) Q7 Regarding US energy policy do you think Washington is currently on the right track or are they currently on the wrong track?

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Washington Energy Policy by Party and Age

Regarding U.S. energy policy, do you think Washington is currently on the right track or is it currently on the wrong track?

Party
10%
26%

Age
8% 15%
23%

2% 6% 15%

8%

10% 20%
46% 26%

4%
26%

11%
30%

11%
23%

16%
17%

16% 27%
61% 63%

22% 19%

12%

10%
17% 31% 18%
66% 59% 66%

86% 63%

21%

72% 47% 40%

15%
42%

56% 47% 35% 41% 27%

Total Republican Strongly right direction Somewhat wrong track

Independent Democrat Somewhat right direction Strongly wrong track

Total

18-34

35-54

55+

Strongly right direction Somewhat wrong track

Somewhat right direction Strongly wrong track

BASE: All Respondents (Total N=1,016; GOP N=339, Independent N=248, Democrat N=323; 18-34 N=187, 35-54 N=366, 55+ N=452) Q7 Regarding US energy policy do you think Washington is currently on the right track or are they currently on the wrong track?

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Demographic Profile

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Demographic Profile
Gender Male Female Age 18-24 25-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Education High school graduate or less Some college/Assoc College graduate Post graduate Income Under $25,000 $25,000 - $49,999 $50,000 - $74,999 $75,000+ 47% 53% 6% 12% 28% 29% 23% 37% 31% 21% 11% 16% 20% 16% 32% Ideology Party Republican Strong Republican Not so strong Republican Democrat Strong Democrat Not so strong Democrat Independent Lean Republican Lean Democrat Do not lean either way Conservative (NET) Liberal (NET) Neither

33%
24% 9% 32% 20%

11%
24%

9%
8% 6% 58% 32% 6%

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