Poll Data Confirms 70 Percent Public Opinion Approval ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 4
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Today is Election Day and
whichever candidate is elected, he will have a mandate to adopt policies that
secure America's energy future using our most abundant energy resource --
coal.
"If 'support for the use of coal for generating electricity' were on the
ballot today, it would win by a landslide," said Joe Lucas, vice president for
communications with the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE).
Lucas' comments are based upon a recent national public opinion survey
sponsored by ACCCE and fielded in mid-October. The survey found that 72
percent of opinion leaders nationwide support the use of coal for generating
electricity -- a significant increase over the past year and the highest level
of support since the group began polling almost 10 years ago.
Given concerns about energy security, the economy, and higher energy
costs, Lucas said it is no surprise that support for coal is at an all-time
high and that energy issues have played a big role in this election. "The
candidates' views on coal's future are reflective of the public, and so it is
easy to see why Senator Obama and Senator McCain have so consistently talked
about coal's role in America's energy future," said Lucas.
The poll shows that Americans are very optimistic about the future for
coal. When asked the question "do you believe coal is a fuel for America's
future?" -- 69% of Americans agreed (compared to only 26% who disagreed).
Moreover, those polled expressed strong confidence that the emergence of new
technologies will result in additional emissions reductions in the coal-based
electricity sector including technologies that will be deployed to capture and
store greenhouse gas emissions.
More than 70 percent of those surveyed (72%) agreed that new technologies
would allow coal-based electricity plants to meet an ultra-low emissions
profile (near zero emissions including the capture and storage of carbon
dioxide) within the next 10 to 20 years. Moreover, those surveyed found that
developing these new advanced clean coal technologies offered the opportunity
to create jobs for American workers (84% agreed) and export these technologies
to other countries (65% agreed).
Lucas noted that the poll shows the next President and Congress will face
a significantly different policy landscape in 2009 as it relates to energy.
"The fundamentals of the energy debate have changed," said Lucas. "While
environmental concerns were the primary driver of the debate in the past, this
poll shows that energy security concerns are more pressing for the key voters.
This means that policymakers will be looking to solutions that will ensure
domestic energy resources such as coal play an expanded role in meeting future
energy needs."
This poll was conducted for ACCCE by AmericanPublic.us and RT Strategies.
The poll interviewed 600 opinion elites nationwide. Elites are defined as
adults with $80,000 or more in household income and a four-year college degree
or more and a professional or managerial job title or a business owner and a
high degree of involvement in politics and policy matters. This poll was
conducted October 7-9, 2008.
About ACCCE
The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) is a non-profit,
non-partisan partnership of companies involved in producing electricity from
coal. Because coal is America's most abundant energy resource, ACCCE supports
energy policies that balance coal's vital role in meeting our country's
growing need for affordable and reliable electricity with the need to protect
the environment. ACCCE also advocates for the development and deployment of
advanced clean coal technologies that will produce electricity with near-zero
emissions. For more information, visit http://www.cleancoalusa.org
SOURCE American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity
