Prices, patriotism top concerns in University of Texas energy poll

Prices and patriotism seem to be the biggest factors when it comes to consumer and voter attitudes on energy, according to a poll released today by the University of Texas at Austin.

The online poll, which surveyed more than 2,300 people in March, found 81 percent of respondents thought gasoline prices were “very high.” That compared to 69 percent who thought so in the first edition of the survey back in September.

Meanwhile, 61 percent said they’d be more likely to back a presidential candidate who favored increased domestic energy production. Support for more natural gas development; incentives for renewable energy; increased energy research funding; and requirements for utilities to offer renewable power options all topped 50 percent, the survey found.

“We see a significant trend of increased pricing concerns and more support for domestic energy production across the board in this survey,” Wayne Hoyer, co-director of the survey and professor and marketing department chair at UT’s McCombs School of Business, said in a statement. “While most respondents expect prices to continue rising, they’re also more optimistic about our energy future, perhaps because of the abundance of natural gas and other domestic energy resources. These trends will be interesting to watch as we head into this fall’s elections.”