WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Thursday, readers! Looking for a unique and fun event to check out this weekend? The DC Hot Air Balloon Festival kicks off tomorrow and runs through Saturday, where folks can watch colorful hot air balloons fill up the sky. Check out here to learn more about the event. 🎈✨Welcome to Daily on Energy, written by Washington Examiner energy and environment writers Callie Patteson (@CalliePatteson) and Maydeen Merino (@MaydeenMerino). Email cpatteson@washingtonexaminer dot com or mmerino@washingtonexaminer dot com for tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list. The demand for power across the country is surging, driven by the development of artificial intelligence, data centers, increased manufacturing, and electrification. And for many voters across the political spectrum, oil and gas could be the solution to meet those needs.
Polling set to be released by the American Exploration and Production Council this week shows that both Democrat and Republican voters are acknowledging the need for oil and gas to meet rising demand, and keep energy costs affordable to American consumers. Some numbers: In fact, roughly 79% of voters said they believed oil and natural gas are important for keeping costs affordable, according to the poll first obtained by Daily on Energy. This view was shared by 51% of voters who identified as very liberal, and 70% of those who identified as a Democratic voter. As a result, most voters polled (63%) said they would support expanding oil and gas production to meet surging demands. Unsurprisingly, very liberal voters were the least likely to support this view, with only 26% saying they would support expanding fossil fuel production and 70% saying they would oppose. However, a plurality of Democratic voters, around 47%, said they would support, and only 43% said they were in opposition. Republican voters voiced the strongest support for expanding oil and gas production at 90%, with 97% of MAGA-identifying voters also backing the move. “Voters across the political spectrum agree that supporting oil and natural gas production is key to making life in America more affordable,” Anne Bradbury, CEO of AXPC, said in a statement. “It’s time to break the cycle of policy uncertainty that delays and derails critical energy investments, and passing durable, source-neutral permitting reform will provide a pathway to lower costs for struggling families.”Pressure at home: The poll comes as electricity and energy prices have continued to soar, in part due to the war in Iran. As we touched on in yesterday’s newsletter, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said energy prices overall increased by 14.7% for the year ending in July. There’s been a lot of debate over what has been the driving force behind the surge in energy costs, with many quick to blame the rapid build out of power-hungry data centers. But the issue is much more complicated than just new demand, as grid operators and utilities have been forced to reckon with years of failing to upgrade transmission infrastructure, the closure of many coal-power facilities, inability to connect new generation to the grid quickly, and the influence of global market prices for products such as oil and gas. One thing everyone can agree on, though, is that prices are higher. The survey coming out this week found that 79% of those polled have seen their energy bills go up in the last year, 44% of which said their bills have gone up a lot. Only 4% said their bills stayed the same, while 13% said their bills went down. If you forgot, earlier this month Callie wrote a deep dive on actions homeowners and renters can take to lower their energy bills. You can find that here.
