Battleground Voters Pragmatic on Climate & Energy

September 30, 2020
The Progressive Policy Institute

Following last night’s debate, Joe Biden will campaign in Pennsylvania and Ohio, where a new poll released today by the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) shows him leading President Trump. In addition to their huge importance as presidential battleground states, Pennsylvania and Ohio are energy powerhouses that rank among the top five U.S. states in natural gas production.

The poll, commissioned by PPI and conducted by ALG Research, finds Biden ahead by six points in Pennsylvania (50%-44%) and two points in Ohio (48%-46%), despite Trump’s attempts to brand Biden falsely as an opponent of “fracking” and natural gas. Biden also is running ahead of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 performance in the “shale belt” — the gas-producing counties of Southeastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.

“Unlike the ‘drill, baby drill’ right and the ‘keep it in the ground” left, voters in midwest states like Pennsylvania and Ohio show a deeply pragmatic streak on energy and climate issues,” said PPI President Will Marshall. “They are not climate deniers like Donald Trump, and they view natural gas as a bridge, not a barrier, to America’s clean energy transition.”

Key poll findings:

71% of Pennsylvania and Ohio voters — and 66% in gas-producing counties — say climate change is a “real and very serious problem.”
Voters oppose a ban on natural gas by an enormous margin — 53 points (74-21%).
Even among liberal leaning groups, there is little appetite for a ban: Democrats, young voters and advanced degree holders oppose a ban by 30, 29 and 55 points respectively.
Voters’ biggest worry about banning gas production is job loss, following by higher energy prices.
Voters do not want to use fossil fuels indefinitely, but they see natural gas as playing an important role in supporting U.S. renewable energy growth over the medium term.
Voters expect it will take a decade or more to end use of natural gas without disruptions to the economy, electric reliability, and energy bills.

Despite Biden’s lead in this poll, voters split over who they trust more on energy issues.

“Voters know where Trump stands on energy, but they aren’t as certain about Biden,” said Marshall. But when it’s described to them, 52% of voters say they support a Biden plan that does not ban fracking, continues to use natural gas and requires the United States to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.

View the full polling memo here.

Media contact: Carter Christensen, cchristensen@ppionline.org

Appendix B: State Breakdowns on Key Findings:

o Pennsylvania: Voters oppose a natural gas extraction ban by 72-23%.o Ohio: Voters oppose a natural gas extraction ban by 76-19%.

o Pennsylvania: Democrats oppose a ban on natural gas extraction by 59%-32%.o Ohio: Democrats oppose a fracking ban by 65-30%.

o Pennsylvania: The biggest worry associated with banning natural gas is job loss (40%), followed by increased energy prices (20%) and energy shortages (15%).

o Ohio: The biggest worry associated with banning natural gas is job loss (26%), followed by increased energy prices (18%) and energy shortages (15%).

o Pennsylvania: 57% of voters see natural gas as playing an important role in supporting U.S. renewable energy growth over the medium-term.

o Ohio: 53% of voters adhere to this view.

o Pennsylvania: 43% of voters say we should be using more natural gas; 34% say we should be using the same amount of natural gas versus; and, 18% say we should use less natural gas.

o Ohio: 41% of voters say we should be using more natural gas; 37% say we should be using the same amount of natural gas; and, 18% say we should use less natural gas.