Strong Support for Domestic Energy Production

July 30, 2014

A recent Neilson poll found three connected points among registered U.S. voters on domestic oil and natural gas development that should resonate in Washington. Across party lines, age and gender, strong majorities of registered voters support more domestic drilling and production.

The poll found that 72% of U.S. voters do not think that the federal government is doing enough to encourage development of domestic resources - and 68% of voters are more inclined to vote for political candidates who support oil and natural gas development here at home.

Additional salient findings from the poll include:

• 77 percent support increased production of America's oil and natural gas resources (92 percent of Republicans, 80 percent of Independents and 66 percent of Democrats).
• 68 percent support offshore drilling for domestic oil and natural gas resources (including 80 percent of Republicans, 72 percent of Independents and 61 percent of Democrats).
• 80 percent agree that producing more domestic oil and natural gas could help strengthen America's national security by lessening the negative impacts of political instability occurring in other parts of the world.

Read the full Neilson report here.