Polling America on gas boom

April 15, 2013
Nailing down the will of the people isn't always easy, even in a democracy. That's because, by definition, people in a democracy are free to do one unique thing: change their minds.

Nailing down the will of the people isn't always easy, even in a democracy. That's because, by definition, people in a democracy are free to do one unique thing: change their minds.

Take for example the rising production of natural gas in the US. Due to advanced technologies, the country now produces enough gas to consider shipping it for sale to other world markets. But is that the will of the people? One recent poll would suggest that the American public may be opposed to the idea.

According to the Spring 2013 University of Texas at Austin Energy Poll, released Apr. 9, 39% of Americans believe the US should keep natural gas it produces rather than sell it to other countries. Only 28% of those surveyed say they would support exporting domestically produced gas elsewhere.

The notion of exporting the country's gas wouldn't appear to be a partisan issue, the poll suggests. "While poll findings on energy issues often reflect partisan bias, Democrats and Republicans report very similar responses to the question of whether the US should export natural gas to other countries," the poll said.

About 37% of survey respondents from both major political parties oppose gas exports and 30% favor them. Those identifying themselves as Independent politically are most likely, at 44%, to oppose exporting gas, the poll stated.

Responses differed by gender and age. Of those surveyed, 36% of men opposed gas exports (33% were in favor) while 42% of women were opposed (with 22% in favor). Among those polled, respondents who opposed gas exports reached 34% for those younger than 35 years of age, 40% for those aged 35-64, and 46% of those 65 or older.

Those opposing gas exports who considered themselves "active" environmentalists reached 36%, while those calling themselves "passive" environmentalists opposing exports reached 40%. Among nonenvironmentalists, meanwhile, those opposing gas exports totaled 39%.

Fracing: a divisive issue

The nationwide survey, which was conducted by UT at Austin online Mar. 11-20, would indicate that respondents generally favor increased US energy production, but have mixed feelings about the current boom in gas production. Specifically, the survey served to illustrate just how sharply divided people remain over the use of hydraulic fracturing, which is the primary technology that has aided in the current surge in gas production, the poll said.

Interestingly, survey respondents who said they are familiar with fracing are more likely to support gas exports (37%) than those not familiar with the technology (20%).

When considering the use of fracing for fossil-fuel extraction, 45% of overall respondents familiar with the technology said they support its use. This is down from 48% a year ago, the poll said. About 41% of respondents said they oppose the practice.

Of this group, however, only 22% of Democrats support fracing, while 60% oppose it, and 71% of Republicans support fracing, while 20% oppose it.

Respondents continued to express concern about possible harm to the environment from the use of fracing, with the potential for water contamination again topping the list of specific concerns, the poll stated.

"More consumers—43% today vs. 38% a year ago—say there should be more regulation of hydraulic fracturing," said Sheril Kirshenbaum, director of the UT at Austin Energy Poll. "Still, we also see steady support for the expansion of domestic natural gas development," she said.

Other findings

The UT at Austin Energy Poll was conducted among 2,113 US residents aged 18 and over. More details are available at utenergypoll.com.

Other findings of the poll include:

• Among those familiar with fracing, 40% of respondents said they trusted the scientific community as the best source of accurate, impartial information on the extraction technology. This percentage has remained constant since last fall.

• Regarding the use of fracing on public lands, 41% of respondents say the technology should be promoted, while 36% say it should be banned.

• Regarding the topic of climate change, the percentage of Americans who say that the phenomenon is occurring has held steady at 73% since the September 2012 poll.