Since coming to office, the Trump administration has made sweeping changes to numerous federal policies, and energy policies are no exception. President Trump declared a national energy emergency and pledged to ‘drill, baby, drill. ’ He has since halted federal investment in renewable energy development. Embold Research surveyed voters nationwide from March 23rd to 28th to assess awareness of the administration’s energy policies and to examine their preferred energy strategies.
Key Insights:
- Energy Policy Information Divide: Half of Americans haven’t seen or heard much about the Trump administration’s energy policies, with exposure to information about the policy agenda highest among those most critical of renewable energy.
- Recognition of the Administration’s Fossil Fuel Focus: Most voters recognize the administration’s emphasis on fossil fuels, while a significant number are unsure of its stances on renewable and nuclear energy.
- Embrace of Renewables and Nuclear: Most voters support renewable and nuclear energy as part of the country’s energy mix. However, support for these alternative energy sources is deeply divided by partisanship, with Democrats much more supportive of renewables than Republicans and Republicans more open to nuclear energy than Democrats.
- Bipartisan Support for Energy Diversity: Despite Trump’s ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda, most Americans prefer a balanced energy approach that includes fossil fuels alongside renewables, nuclear energy, and other energy sources.
Awareness of the Trump Administration’s Energy Policies
A sharp divide exists in voter exposure to Trump’s energy agenda, with half of voters having seen or read about it and the other half reporting limited to no exposure. A slight majority of voters (53%) report that they have seen or heard a fair bit about the administration’s energy plans, including 17% who have seen or heard “a lot”. However, almost half of voters (47%) report minimal exposure, with nearly one in five reporting they’ve heard nothing at all about the administration’s energy initiatives.
Voters broadly believe that the Trump Administration prioritizes fossil fuel development. Nearly 90% of voters believe the administration supports the development of oil and gas. Three in four see it backing coal, though 21% are unsure. The fossil fuel emphasis is so central to public perception that “drill, baby, drill” – Trump’s inaugural pledge – appears unprompted in nearly 10% of voters’ open-ended descriptions of the administration’s energy approach. Additionally, just over half of voters believe the administration supports nuclear energy, while 41% are unsure of its position on nuclear.
While the prevailing belief is that the administration opposes renewable energy development, many voters are unsure of its stance. Nearly 60% of voters believe the administration opposes wind energy, and 43% think it opposes solar energy development. Only 9% of voters believe the administration supports wind energy, while 20% think it supports solar development. However, for both energy sources, over thirty percent of voters are unsure of the administration’s stance (32% for wind and 37% for solar). This uncertainty is particularly pronounced among Republican and Independent voters, where 40% or more are unsure about the administration’s renewable energy stance – a stark contrast to Democrats who firmly perceive opposition.
Voters’ descriptions of the Trump administration’s emphasis on fossil fuels reveal stark partisan interpretations. Republicans generally see the embrace of fossil fuels as a path to energy independence and economic prosperity, while Democrats describe it as environmentally harmful and a step backward in addressing climate change.
“Drill baby drill. He wants the US to be energy independent.” – Republican Man, 65+ years old
“US being self-reliant in energy production.” – Republican Woman, 50-64 years old.
“More energy means cheaper energy, which means lower production costs and lower cost of living and inflation.” – Republican Woman, 35-49 years old
“Taking us back 50 years, we need to move forward with clean energy.” – Democratic Woman, 35-49 years old
“Backwards and damaging to the environment, and it will not lead to cheaper electricity.” – Democratic Man, 50-64 years old
“They are emphasizing coal and natural gas in an effort to increase US production of these products, at the expense of natural parks and protected land.” – Democratic Man, 18-34 years old
Voters’ Energy Preferences
A majority of Americans embrace renewable energy sources as part of the country’s energy mix. Hydroelectricity, rooftop solar, and geothermal energy enjoy widespread support, with two-thirds of all voters also supporting solar farms. While wind energy receives less support than solar, a majority of voters still back both on-shore (56%) and off-shore wind farms (53%). Among other energy sources, natural gas (75%) and nuclear energy (67%) receive strong support, while coal is a much more divisive energy source. When it comes to emerging energy sources like biomass and hydrogen, voters are open, but many lack strong opinions, with about one-third of voters uncertain about these energy sources.
Voters are deeply divided on their preferred energy sources, with Republicans favoring fossil fuels and nuclear energy while Democrats express a clear preference for solar and wind. Nearly all Republicans (94%) support natural gas as an energy source in the U.S., while only a slight majority of Democrats (54%) share this view. The gap in support is much starker when it comes to coal, with 78% of Republicans supportive compared to just 14% of Democrats. Republicans are also more likely to favor nuclear energy (77%), though a majority of Democrats support it (55%). In contrast, nine in ten Democrats support solar farms compared to less than half of Republicans (46%). A significant majority of Democrats also support both on-shore and off-shore wind farms, compared to fewer than 30% of Republicans.
President Trump’s ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda contrasts with voters’ preference for a diversified energy strategy. Only 17% of voters believe we should prioritize oil and gas production over all else. Instead, a clear majority (57%) prefer an energy mix that maintains oil and gas alongside renewable and alternative energy sources, including two-thirds of Republicans. Meanwhile, one in four voters would like to see the country transition away from oil and gas entirely toward alternative sources like solar, wind, and nuclear energy – a position held by a majority of Democrats (53%).
