Americans back range of energy policies, with partisan splits

For each of the policies polled by Gallup, the partisan gap was at least 20 points. (Fotolia)

A majority of Americans support a range of energy and environmental policies from more oil drilling to federal funding for renewables to regulations that curb pollution, albeit with significant partisan differences, according to a new Gallup poll.

The partisan gap was at least 20 points on each of the policies polled, according to the poll released Monday, underscoring the level of polarization that continues on matters of energy and environment.

Sixty-five percent of Americans favor opening up more federally owned land for oil exploration, including 84 percent of Republicans and just 49 percent of Democrats. Meanwhile, a majority supports toughening pollution standards and other environmental regulations, and spending more government money on wind, solar power and alternative fuels ? with Democrats far more supportive than Republicans.

The poll also found public support had declined modestly since the mid-2000s for nearly all the policies in question.

?These declines could be due to Americans? reduced priority in the last several years for preserving the environment at the expense of economic growth, an outgrowth of the economic downturn,? Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup poll, said in a blog post accompanying the poll results. ?However, they are also likely to stem from heightened public concern about government spending and regulations specifically, particularly among Republicans.?

Of particular note is that a majority of Americans support limiting emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, that many climate scientists blame for ongoing rises in global average temperature. Broken down by party, the poll found 82 percent of Democrats and just 49 percent of Republicans in support

That finding reinforces the partisan differences on the issue made clear after the Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed the first-ever national limits on greenhouse-gas emissions new power plants.

Republicans and industry groups maligned the proposal, saying it would prevent new coal power plants from being built, while Democrats and environmental groups praised them as a good first step toward targeting energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.

EPA has said its rule merely facilitates the power sector?s ongoing transition from coal to natural gas.

Sixty-two percent of Americans support setting tougher pollution standards for automobiles, regulations that the EPA has also undertaken.

The EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have proposed doubling passenger-vehicle mileage to 54.5 miles per gallon by model year 2025. Additionally the agencies have finalized fuel-efficiency standards for heavy-duty and medium-duty trucks and buses.

But the EPA has stalled on a regulation to cut the maximum allowed amount of sulfur in gasoline by two-thirds. The rule, which environmental groups and EPA say would reduce ozone pollution at a modest cost, has come under fire from industry groups and Republicans, who argue the rules will have a far greater economic impact (such as higher gasoline-production costs) than the agency is predicting.

More nuclear energy got a bare majority of support from Americans, at 52 percent, mostly unchanged since the mid-2000s. That figure includes 64 percent of Republicans and 41 percent of Democrats.

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