Voters Support Limiting Natural Gas Exports
The Biden administration is facing its “next big climate test” over its decision whether or not to grant permits for at least 20 new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.
If completed, these facilities would result in an extra 3.2 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, close to the entire annual emissions of the European Union. Just one facility, Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass 2 (CP2) project, would have over 20 times the greenhouse gas emissions of the controversial Willow oil and gas project in Alaska.
The current record amounts of natural gas exports are already increasing volatility and driving up prices for U.S. consumers. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, exports could drive up the price of natural gas for electric power by as much as 42% in some parts of the country.
In light of this, new polling from Data for Progress and Fossil Free Media finds that voters support limits on natural gas exports by a 2-to-1 margin and want to see new export facilities paused until the proper reviews are completed.
A strong majority of voters express support for the Biden administration taking measures to limit the amount of natural gas America exports (+30-point margin of support overall), including 59% of Independents. Young voters (aged 18-29) echo this sentiment, with a +43-point margin of support for limiting natural gas exports.
To assess how voters view potential tradeoffs regarding natural gas exports, we conducted a split test, which randomized treatments across respondents. Half of all respondents were shown an argument for increasing exports through a jobs framing, while the other half saw a similar argument but through an international energy independence framing. All respondents were shown the same opposing option: that the United States “cannot afford to export more natural gas at a time when energy prices are already high here at home.”
Regardless of the framing used, the argument that domestic energy prices are high and therefore we cannot afford to export more natural gas is very persuasive. This holds true across partisanship for both splits.
When asked about a proposal to pause all new natural gas export projects until proper reviews of their impacts on local communities, the environment, and energy prices are completed, voters across partisanship support such an approach. Independents (57% support) and Republicans (52%) alike support this proposal, as do young voters (64%).
Lastly, respondents were presented with a brief introduction to a potential new natural gas export facility in Louisiana, Calcasieu Pass 2 (CP2), and then shown four different messages in opposition to construction of CP2. While more than 60% of voters are convinced by all messages tested, the top testing message focuses on voters' pocketbooks: “Increasing gas exports pits overseas buyers against U.S. consumers, raising energy prices for things like home heating across the country.”
This polling reflects voters’ general opposition to increasing natural gas exports, and shows that they are sympathetic to arguments that exports drive up prices and are not in the public interest.
Survey Methodology
From November 3 to 6, 2023, Data for Progress, in collaboration with Fossil Free Media, conducted a survey of 1,279 U.S. likely voters nationally using web panel respondents, including an oversample of 18-29 year olds. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, geography, and voting history. The survey was conducted in English. The margin of error is ±3 percentage points.