Raleigh, NC – With the news of rising gas prices leading TV news and blaring from the headlines of local papers, North Carolina voters overwhelmingly support oil and gas exploration off the coast of North Carolina.
Of the 800 likely general election voters surveyed, 68 percent support off shore oil while 20 percent oppose. 11 percent of voters were not sure at this point.
“North Carolina voters understand that the current rise in gas prices is a result of demand outpacing supply and that we need to aggressively explore for and develop new reserves of oil and gas,” stated Francis De Luca, Executive Director of the Civitas Institute.
North Carolinians also support pursuing alternative energy projects. When asked about locating 500 foot tall wind turbines on the coast and in the mountains, 63 percent support the proposal while 18 percent oppose. 18 percent of voters were not sure at this point.
“From this poll we can see North Carolinians want reliable energy supplies at a reasonable cost,” concluded De Luca.
Click here for the last year of poll results.
The study of 800 registered voters was conducted May 14-17 by Tel Opinion Research of Alexandria, Virginia. All respondents were part of a fully representative sample of registered voters in North Carolina. For purposes of this study, voters we interviewed had to have voted in either the 2002, 2004 or 2006 general election or were newly registered voters since 2006. The voters were interviewed using live callers.
The confidence interval associated with a sample of this size is such that: 95% of the time, results from 800 interviews (registered voters) will be within +-3.7% of the “True Values.” “True Values” refer to the results obtained if were possible to interview every person in North Carolina who had voted in either the 2002, 2004 or 2006 general elections or were newly registered voters since 2006.
Do you support or oppose oil and gas exploration off the coast of North Carolina?
| # | % | |
| Support | 546 | 68 |
| Oppose | 163 | 20 |
| Not Sure | 91 | 11 |
Do you support or oppose allowing 500-foot tall wind turbines to be constructed along our coast and mountain ridges?
| # | % | |
| Support | 506 | 63 |
| Oppose | 147 | 18 |
| Not Sure | 147 | 18 |
Leave a Comment