American energy leadership is a winner.
2016 election-night polling shows that
no matter what their political stripe,
U.S. voters highly approve of the ways
increased domestic oil and natural gas
development is strengthening our country
– job creation, economic growth, energy
cost savings to consumers and greater
energy security.
There’s certainly ready evidence of American
energy’s benefits, including hundreds of
dollars in fuel cost savings for consumers
and increased disposable income for U.S.
households. Environmentally, American
energy is leading as well, with increased
use of cleaner-burning natural gas driving
power-sector emissions to 25-year lows
while helping make our air cleaner.
This polling data shows U.S. voters’
strong, bipartisan support for increased
development to ensure a supply of
abundant, affordable energy for everyone
in our country, done in an environmentally
responsible way. Americans support
increased access to domestic oil and gas
reserves and more energy infrastructure.
They’re concerned about the government
increasing ethanol volume in gasoline, and
they oppose tax hikes that could decrease
energy investment and development.
Americans believe in American energy.
They see it as the catalyst for economic
growth, strengthened energy security and
environmental progress – the foundation
for forward-thinking energy policies to
sustain and grow the benefits of
America’s energy renaissance.
WHAT VOTERS are THINKING
ON ENERGY ISSUES
78%
OF VOTERS CONSIDER IT IMPORTANT THAT THE U.S. IS DOING
BETTER THAN OTHER MAJOR ECONOMIES IN EUROPE &
ELSEWHERE IN REDUCING GREENHOUSE GASES
OF VOTERS SUPPORT NATURAL GAS’ ROLE
IN REDUCING U.S. GREENHOUSE GASES
92%
OF VOTERS CONSIDER IT IMPORTANT THAT
GASOLINE & DIESEL FUELS ARE HELPING
REDUCE AIR POLLUTION
OF VOTERS SUPPORT INCREASED U.S.
PRODUCTION OF OIL AND NATURAL GAS
86%
72%
OF VOTERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT GOVERNMENT
MANDATES TO INCREASE ETHANOL IN GASOLINE
OF VOTERS SUPPORT INCREASED
ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE
77%
80%
OF VOTERS AGREE THAT INCREASED ACCESS TO
DOMESTIC OIL AND NATURAL GAS RESOURCES COULD
LEAD TO MORE AMERICAN JOBS
OF VOTERS OPPOSE HIGHER TAXES THAT
COULD DECREASE ENERGY PRODUCTION
75%
77%
81%
OF VOTERS SUPPORT A NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY THAT
ENSURES A SECURE SUPPLY OF ABUNDANT, AFFORDABLE
AND AVAILABLE ENERGY FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN
AN ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE MANNER
Key 2016 campaign I voter poll results
OUR E NER GY
Carbon emissions
from the electric
power sector in
2015 were below
1993 levels, despite
our economy being 71%
larger. More than 65% of
the CO2 reductions in this
sector since 2005 have
come from fuel switching
to natural gas.
Electric Power Sector CO2 Emissions
Million Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide
2,600
2,400
2,200
2,000
1,800
1,918
1,919
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
1993
2015
U.S. Dry Natural Gas Production
(Tcf)
Thanks to fracking,
natural gas proven
reserves are 80%
higher than they were
in 2005 and U.S. natural
gas production is at
the highest levels ever
recorded.
28
26
24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
1966
Petroleum
American energy
is all-of-the-above.
37.2%
2015
Natural Gas
29.2%
Because of their benefits
– including reliability,
portability and highenergy content – oil and
natural gas provide over
66% of the energy we
use today.
U.S. Energy Consumption
Coal
14.7%
Nuclear
8.71%
Biom
4.8
FO U N DA TI O N
mass
89%
U.S. Field Production of Crude Oil Advances in
hydraulic fracturing
and horizontal
drilling have
unlocked vast new
energy reserves, and
(Thousand Barrels Per Day)
12,000
10,000
8,000
driven U.S. oil production
to its highest level since
1972.
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
1966
2015
Petroleum Trade: Imports From OPEC Countries
(Thousand Barrels Per Day)
Increased U.S.
production has led to a
decrease in oil imports
from OPEC countries.
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
2,836
2,894
Imports in 2015
were 51.6% lower
than their 2007
peak.
1,000
0
1986
Hydroelectric
2.64%
2015
Wind
2.10%
Solar
0.51%
Geothermal
0.23%
The U.S. Energy
Information Administration
(EIA) projects oil and
natural gas will
account for 67% of
the energy we use
in 2040.
All data, EIA
SECURING OUR ENERGY FUTURE
AMERICA IS WELL
POSITIONED TO
SECURE OUR
ENERGY FUTURE.
PRINCIPLES FOR ENERGY PROGRESS:
As the world leader in
both emissions reduction
and production of oil and
natural gas, the United
States has a proven
model for achieving
environmental progress
without sacrificing jobs,
economic growth, energy
security or consumer
affordability.
nn The federal government should encourage and expand the
innovations that safely launched an energy revolution in the
United States while reducing the environmental impacts of
energy production.
A path forward is clear,
with policies based on
science and economics that
take full advantage of the
American energy revolution
in an environmentally
responsible manner.
To further our energy
progress, the goal of a
national energy policy must
be to ensure a secure supply
of domestically abundant,
affordable energy for the
American people.
nn In order to continue America’s energy leadership, and lay the
foundation for decades of affordable and reliable energy, we
must safely and responsibly produce America’s abundant
energy resources.
nn Congress and our regulatory agencies must be guided by
data, economics and science in developing policies that allow
U.S. refiners to continue leading the world in environmental
performance, safety and energy delivery.
nn Congress must repeal or significantly reform the Renewable Fuel
Standard to protect American consumers.
nn Lower consumer costs are better realized through market-driven
innovation and entrepreneurship; government should not pick
winners and losers through the tax code or technology mandates.
nn Communities and businesses must be allowed to continue the
environmental progress they have made without the uncertainty
and unnecessary cost for all Americans created by shifting
standards to levels that achieve no demonstrable health benefit.
nn To realize our nation’s true potential as an energy superpower, we
need the best infrastructure in the world and government rules that
support and enable building and maintaining that infrastructure.
nn As states and electric utilities balance the need to meet
emission requirements, maintain reliability and minimize costs
for consumers, they should allow market forces rather than
government mandates to drive a power generation mix that
provides clean, reliable and affordable power.
nn Opportunities to expand American access to global energy markets
must be enabled while the federal government improves the
efficiency of processing export applications.
© Copyright 2016 – American Petroleum Institute (API), all rights reserved. Digital
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