Despite news of earth quakes, and the constant campaigns against hydraulic fracturing of shale, Ohioans support more oil and gas development.
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View full size A marker shows a Dominion pipeline in Greene County, Pa. Environmentalists say the pipelines that serve the shale gas boom threaten forests and some of the songbirds that live in them. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Overwhelming majorities of voters across the state support increased production of oil and gas, a poll commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute has found.
The statewide telephone poll, conducted April 3-7 for API by Harris Poll of 600 registered Ohio voters, found 79 percent favor increasing current levels of production.
The poll also found that:
* 82 percent support increased development of the nation's energy infrastructure;
* 88 percent agree that more domestic production could strengthen national energy security;
* 90 percent think it could create new jobs;
* 82 percent think it could lower consumer energy costs; and
* 79 percent agreed producing more domestic oil and natural gas could benefit state and federal budgets.
Generally, the poll found that a larger percentage of Republicans than Democrats, more men than women and those over 55 supported increasing Ohio and U.S. production as a way to increase national security, create jobs and shore up government budgets. Democrats and those over 55 had the least confidence that increasing development would lower consumer energy costs.
The poll has a margin of error of pus or minus 4 percent. Click here to see a copy of the poll and demographic breakdown.
"The people of Ohio get it; America's economic future, the availability of affordable and reliable energy, depends on the policies created today," said Christian Zeigler, executive director of API-Ohio, in a prepared statement.
The Ohio findings are similar to those of a national Harris poll conducted at roughly the same time, though Ohio voters tended to be less educated, more Democratic and more unionized.
The trade group said it would use the polling results in its "What America is Thinking on Energy Issues" in advertising and social media campaigns, and "to communicate the importance of America's energy future to members of Congress, the administration and elected officials at every level of government.
The industry also supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy, according to the API.
