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A new Trafalgar Group poll found that more than three out of four Americans agreed to support domestic energy production in the U.S.
The survey comes in the wake of the ongoing war in Ukraine and after President Joe Biden recently moved to ban Russian oil imports to the U.S.
“While it’s unclear what lies ahead as Russia invades Ukraine, we know one thing for sure: American energy is a positive force in difficult times, helping to provide stability for the U.S. and our allies,” American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Mike Sommers said on the group’s website. "We have the technology, innovation, and resources here in the U.S. to meet this moment, while at the same time furthering progress toward our shared climate goals."
Ahead of the Biden administration’s recent State of the Union Address, API released polling showing that 90 percent of American voters support the country adopting a plan that paves the way for the development of its own domestic energy resources, as opposed to continuing to count on foreign energy sources.
With those numbers breaking down almost evenly among voters (92% Democrats, 90% Republicans, and 86% Independent), researchers also found 85% of all respondents believe producing natural gas and oil in the U.S. “helps America maintain a leadership role during a period of global uncertainty." 85% believe that “producing natural gas and oil here in the U.S. could help lower energy costs for American consumers and small businesses.”
Sommers recently penned a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and other administration officials. He pointed to steps he thinks need to be taken by regulatory agencies to enhance the chances of long-term American energy leadership and security at a time of increased geopolitical volatility.
The API launched its Keep America Competitive campaign, which stresses the importance of American energy leadership as it relates to becoming less energy-dependent, in 2021.
The trade association recently sent a letter to Deb Haaland, secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), seeking clarity on DOI’s response to a court case “regarding leasing and permitting delays and urging the Department to prioritize and move forward with its statutory requirements to issue quarterly lease sales and issue a five-year plan for offshore development."
Early this year, Biden signed off on a series of executive orders that prioritize his commitment to climate change across all levels of government. This includes halting new oil and natural gas leases on public lands and waters.
Among other things, the plan also calls for the administration to order the federal government to conserve approximately one-third of federal lands and water over the next decade and to find ways to double offshore wind production over that same period.
“We’ve already waited too long to deal with the climate crisis,” Biden said during a briefing, according to CNBC. “We cannot wait any longer. Our climate plans are ambitious,” the president said. “But we are America. We are unwavering in our commitment to innovation.”
A growing number of oil and gas producers have strongly opposed Biden’s move and are expected to launch legal challenges to his actions.