by Nick Pope
An overwhelming majority of Americans support the idea of tearing up regulations to boost domestic energy production and independence, according to a new poll by Power the Future (PTF) obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Of those surveyed, 90% found at least somewhat convincing the argument that permitting reform would strengthen U.S. energy independence, enhance national security and allow the country to stand tall in the face of geopolitical challenges, with 64% of respondents saying that the idea was extremely or very convincing to them, the PTF poll found. Eighty-eight percent of the poll’s respondents support improvements to the federal permitting system for energy infrastructure projects in order to keep energy affordable and reliable.
Ninety percent of the surveyed individuals similarly responded that it is at least somewhat convincing that permitting reform is necessary to unlock the massive potential of U.S.-made energy and reestablish the country as a net energy exporter, the poll found. Eighty-eight percent of respondents found the premise that bureaucratic idling cannot be allowed to kill energy projects at least somewhat convincing, with 50% of respondents finding the idea very or extremely convincing.
Further, 90% of respondents also found the assertion that the government must allow Americans to build the energy infrastructure that the country needs in order to remain independent from countries like China, Russia and Saudi Arabia to be at least somewhat convincing, the poll found.
Left-wing Democrats have vociferously opposed permitting reform in recent years, with climate activists targetingDemocratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia for his role in getting the White House to agree to fast-tracking outstanding permits for the Mountain Valley Pipeline project as a part of June’s debt ceiling negotiations. The Biden administration has drawn criticism for its approach to permitting energy projects, which has largely focused on green energy projects while mostly not prioritizing fossil fuel infrastructure unless under political pressure, as was the case in the debt ceiling negotiations.
The poll sampled 1,600 registered voters across the country, pulling respondents of varied demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Energy policy is emerging as a key issue in the 2024 presidential race, as Republican candidates and officials have slammed the Biden administration’s sweeping climate agenda for its role in driving up costsfor Americans and increasing dependence on adversarial countries.
The Biden administration has stated its goal of having the U.S. power sector achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2035, and having the overall U.S. economy reach net-zero by 2050. Fossil fuels provided nearly 80% of the energy consumed by Americans in 2022, while just over 20% of consumed energy came from nuclear energy and green technology in 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
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Nick Pope is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
