GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Public concern about the United States' energy supply is up sharply this year. According to Gallup's annual Environment survey, updated March 13-16, there has been a 10-point increase (from 31% to 41%) in the percentage of Americans rating the nation's energy situation as "very serious," and a 9-point increase (from 39% to 48%) in the percentage worrying "a great deal" about the nation's energy supply. 

President George W. Bush earns poor marks for his handling of energy policy. Only 25% of Americans, down from 32% last year, say he is doing a good job of improving the nation's energy policy. Sixty-three percent say he is doing a poor job. Similarly, a March 10-12 CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll found only 24% of Americans believe Bush is doing enough to solve the nation's energy problems. This is down from 38% in 2001.

Along with increased concern about the energy situation, the Environment survey records a slight shift in Americans' preferences for how the nation's energy problem should be addressed. When asked which of two approaches they prefer the United States to follow -- more production of oil, gas, and coal supplies, or more conservation of existing supplies by consumers -- Americans choose conservation over production, 55% to 35%. However, the percentage favoring more production is up seven points from the 28% recorded last year, while the percentage favoring conservation has declined six points. 

Republicans are about evenly divided between favoring more production versus more conservation; majorities of independents and Democrats prefer conservation. Among all three groups, support for more energy production has increased over the past year.

Energy Concerns Rise

Today, 41% of Americans say the energy situation in the United States is very serious, up from 31% recorded last March. This is lower than the 58% recorded in 2001 during the height of the West Coast energy shortage, and the 47% recorded during the 1979 energy crisis, but is similar to the 40% found during the 1991 Gulf War.

The "availability and affordability" of energy is now of great concern to nearly half of Americans (48%). Another 35% say they worry "a fair amount" about it, while just 17% worry "only a little" or "not at all." This is the highest degree of concern on this measure Gallup has recorded since March 2001, and represents a significant increase from last year when only 39% were greatly concerned. 

Energy ranks fairly high as a concern on the list of domestic issues rated in the latest survey. Only healthcare is rated significantly higher. Energy is closely matched with Social Security, crime, and the possibility of future terrorist attacks as a public concern. Unemployment and race relations are of less concern.

Future Energy Shock?

Americans today are especially mindful of energy as a long-term problem. When asked what the most important problem facing the United States will be in 25 years, 10% of Americans, up from 5% last year, name energy. As a result, energy now ties with Social Security as the No. 1 perceived long-term problem for the country.

By contrast, only 2% of Americans cite energy as the most important problem facing the country currently. Today's low level of top-of-mind concern about energy is typical of recent years; however it was substantially higher (reaching 12%) for a short period in 2001 because of the energy shortage in California that resulted in temporary power blackouts.

The percentage of Americans saying the United States will face a critical energy shortage in the next five years has fluctuated since 2001 in response to domestic and international events. During the West Coast energy shortage in 2001, 61% of Americans said a critical energy shortage was possible. This dropped to 49% the following year, but spiked again just prior to the start of the 2003 Iraq war. At 57%, the current percentage saying this is slightly higher than the 52% recorded last year.

Bush's Energy Rating Slides

Bush's positive ratings on the energy issue have declined over the past year. Only 25% of Americans think Bush is doing a good job of improving the nation's energy policy, down from 32% in 2005.

Whether this recent drop reflects increased public criticism of Bush's energy policy, or is a result of the broader decline in Bush's job approval ratings over the past year, is not clear. Today Bush's overall job approval rating is 37%, down substantially from the 52% recorded in last year's Environment survey.

Bush's rating on energy policy has steadily declined since the start of his term. Since 2003, a plurality or majority of Americans have said he is doing a poor job of improving the nation's energy policy. By contrast, in 2002, a plurality of Americans felt he was doing a good job. And in 2001, at the start of his term, a solid majority expected that he would do a good job.

Bush's current ratings for his handling of energy policy are worse than those he receives for either the environment or the economy.

Another indicator of Americans' discontent with current energy policy comes from Gallup's January Mood of the Nation poll. The Jan. 9-12 survey showed a 10-point decline over the past year, from 39% to 29%, in public satisfaction with the nation's energy policies. This is the lowest Gallup satisfaction score recorded on this measure since it was initiated in 2001.

Survey Methods

The latest results are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,000 adults, aged 18 and older, conducted March 13-16, 2006. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is ±3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

36. Overall, do you think President Bush is or is not doing enough to solve the country's energy problems?

BASED ON 483 NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM B

12. Next I'm going to read a list of problems facing the country. For each one, please tell me if you personally worry about this problem a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or not at all? First, how much do you personally worry about -- [ITEMS A-J READ IN RANDOM ORDER, ITEM L READ LAST]?

13. Do you think George W. Bush is doing a good job or a poor job in handling each of the following issues as president? How about -- [RANDOM ORDER]?

A. Protecting the nation's environment

B. Improving the nation's energy policy

C. Keeping America prosperous

23. How serious would you say the energy situation is in the United States -- very serious, fairly serious, or not at all serious?