Majority of American Voters Agree Gas Exports Would Create Jobs, Poll Says

Seventy-one percent of Americans agree that exporting domestic natural gas will help create U.S. jobs, and sixty-six percent believe that exporting natural gas will be good for the U.S. economy, according to a new poll conducted by Harris Interactive for API’s “What America is Thinking on Energy Issues” series.

“American voters know that exporting more of America’s domestic energy would lead to more jobs, help the economy, and reduce the nation’s trade deficit,” said API Chief Economist John Felmy. “The United States has the opportunity to get it right and use its abundant supplies of clean-burning natural gas resources to meet the president’s goal for doubling U.S. exports by 2015.”

The telephone poll of 1,006 registered American voters found that in addition to supporting the U.S. economy and job creation, more U.S. natural gas exports would help reduce the U.S. trade deficit (63 percent), helps keep energy dollars here in the U.S. rather than being sent to other regions of the world (66 percent), and increase the nation’s energy security (64 percent).

Positive support for exporting U.S. natural gas by a majority of American voters is reinforced by facts reported in a recent study produced by ICF International. The study finds that U.S. LNG exports could spur strong domestic economic and job growth.

“Industry advancements in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have led to a dramatic increase in the estimated recoverable shale gas resources here in the U.S.,” said Felmy. “The American people get it. The U.S. can be a global energy superpower as long as our leaders pursue smart energy policy. We are also the global leaders on clean air. Technological advances that have enabled us to reach natural gas from shale have also helped the U.S. lower its carbon dioxide to 1994 levels.”

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LNG World News Staff, May 22, 2013