Statewide poll finds voter support for greater energy competition
RALEIGH – A new statewide poll found overwhelming voter support across all political lines for greater energy competition, a regional free market for energy, and more renewable energy, including offshore wind.
The 2024 North Carolina Energy Poll, conducted for Conservatives for Clean Energy NC and the Clean Energy Buyers Association, found that among the state’s likely fall voters:
• More than 77% want more energy competition and consumer choice.
o This includes 79% of Republican voters, 77% of Unaffiliated voters, and 77% of Democratic voters.
o Ideologically, it includes 75% of self-identified conservative voters, 82% of moderate voters, and 78% of liberal voters.
• Almost 80% say the state should modernize its laws to allow for greater competition with Duke Energy to meet our state’s future energy needs.
o This includes 79% of Republican voters, 80% of Unaffiliated voters, and 80% of Democratic voters.
o Ideologically, it includes 77% of self-identified conservative voters, 84% of moderate voters, and 83% of liberal voters.
• About 77% think state law should require Duke Energy to join a regional wholesale energy market if it would save North Carolina residents and businesses hundreds of millions of dollars a year, as independent studies have suggested.
o Meanwhile, 62% of voters think the state should study the potential cost savings. • More than 61% support building offshore wind turbines, up from 55% last year.
o Support rose to about 66% when told of the private investment wind energy would attract or that the turbines would be 22 miles or more from the shore.
• Overall, 74% think state law should encourage more investment in renewable energy.
“In America these days, you can’t get three out of four of people to agree that the sky is blue,” said Carson Butts, State Director of Conservatives for Clean Energy North Carolina. “And yet more than three-fourths of North Carolina’s voters favor sensible energy market reforms that would give consumers more choices while saving families and businesses hundreds of millions of dollars a year – a message that elected officials across our state should hear loud and clear.”
The random phone survey of 600 likely general election voters has a statistical accuracy of +/- 4% at a 95% confidence interval. The poll was conducted May 20-22 for the Raleigh Republican political consulting firm Strategic Partners Solutions. Paul Shumaker served as project manager and Hays Shumaker was research coordinator.
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