HOUSTON, TX – Consumer Energy Alliance voter polls conducted in three states with pivotal U.S. Senate races finds strong support for allowing oil and natural gas drilling in U.S. waters inside the Arctic Circle. The poll finds Alaska, Georgia and Louisiana each have close races for U.S. Senate that will indicate the direction of federal policy towards offshore energy.
Q: Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose allowing offshore oil and natural gas drilling north of Alaska, in U.S. waters inside the Arctic Circle?
| Support | Oppose | |
| Alaska | 73% | 22% |
| Louisiana | 66% | 17% |
| Georgia | 59% | 21% |
Voters are equally supportive of expanding offshore oil and natural gas drilling in U.S. waters. The U.S. Department of the Interior is starting a planning process which will examine the possibility of opening sections of the Atlantic Ocean and Eastern Gulf of Mexico to new drilling.
Q: Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose expanding offshore oil and gas drilling in U.S. waters?
| Support | Oppose | |
| Alaska | 72% | 23% |
| Louisiana | 76% | 13% |
| Georgia | 62% | 19% |
Over the past decade, the U.S. federal government has stifled the ability for operators to explore the U.S. Arctic offshore through litigation and a slow moving bureaucracy, while other countries like Russia and Norway have maturing drilling operations. In September, The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia has found “major amounts of oil and natural gas” in its first drilled well located in the Kara Sea region of the Arctic Ocean.
When briefed on the global politics facing the United States and recent steps by Russian President Vladimir Putin to advance Russia’s offshore energy efforts, voters in all three states indicated they want the U.S. Government to allow offshore oil and natural gas drilling.
| Q: Over the past 10 years the amount of oil the United States imports from Russia has increased while oil production in Alaska has decreased. Under President Putin, Russia has begun drilling for oil in Russian waters inside the Arctic Circle. Given these facts which of the following is closest to your opinion? | |||
| Alaska | Georgia | Louisiana | |
| The U.S. should allow oil and natural gas drilling in the Arctic to increase domestic oil production and reduce our dependence on Russian oil. | 62% | 52% | 55% |
| We should protect the Arctic, and should not allow oil and natural gas drilling in the U.S. waters of the Arctic, even if it means foreign oil imports to the U.S. continue to grow. | 22% | 25% | 25% |
Elections in Alaska, Georgia and Louisiana
Voters in all three states are not yet settled on who will be their next U.S. Senator. The governor’s races in Alaska and Georgia are also closely contested. Margins among likely voters in all of these races are within a few points.
U.S. Senate
| Alaska | Sullivan | Begich |
| 46% | 41% | |
| Georgia | Perdue | Nunn |
| 41% | 39% | |
| Louisiana* | Cassidy | Landrieu |
| 50% win threshold… | 29% | 39% |
| Possible runoff… | 46% | 45% |
Governor
| Alaska | Parnell | Walker |
| 46% | 38% | |
| Georgia | Deal | Carter |
| 44% | 36% | |
Energy = Bipartisan Issue
“There are not too many issues drawing bipartisan support from voters,” said David Holt, president of Consumer Energy Alliance. “Candidates would be wise to make energy their issue.”
Methodology
Hickman Analytics conducted the three polls for Consumer Energy Alliance. In Alaska, 400 likely 2014 general election voters were surveyed via landline or cell phone between September 26th and October 2nd, the poll has a margin of error of 4.9%. In Georgia, 500 likely 2014 general election voters were surveyed via landline or cell phone between September 26th and October 5th, the poll has a margin of error of 4.4%. In Louisiana, 502 likely 2014 general election voters were surveyed via landline or cell phone between September 26th and October 2nd, the poll has a margin of error of 4.4%.
LA Topline & Tables Release
GA Topline & Tables Release
AK Topline & Tables Release
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