For Immediate Release: July 15, 2021
Contact: Christina Nyquist | cnyquist@epsa.org
Washington, D.C. – Americans believe competitive energy markets are more effective than utility monopolies at providing cleaner, affordable and most importantly – reliable – electricity to customers, according to a new poll conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), the national trade association representing competitive power suppliers.
See a summary of key findings here.
As Congress and the Biden-Harris administration weigh policies to promote continued investment in renewable generation, a majority of U.S. voters say that affordability and reliability are important energy concerns and do not want to shutter traditional generation resources until renewable energy and storage technology can operate at that scale. They also believe competition will best deliver affordable and reliable energy while bringing more renewables to the grid and spurring clean energy investment at the least cost.
“EPSA and our member companies are committed to providing competitive benefits to consumers, building the affordable, cleaner and above all – reliable – energy future that Americans deserve,” said EPSA President and CEO Todd Snitchler. “This recent polling affirms that Americans trust electric competition – not energy monopolies – to enable the transition of the power grid.”
“Competitive markets have already proven to be a strong model for promoting new technologies and innovation. As the power sector looks to meet the ambitious climate goals set forth by the Biden-Harris administration, we cannot lose sight of the fact that reliability and affordability must remain top priorities. Competition will help incentivize more affordable and efficient energy choices while protecting consumers from paying to support outdated technology.”
Key findings from the survey conducted June 23-27, 2021 include:
Americans say competitive power markets are more effective at lowering consumer costs and promoting innovation and new technologies than monopoly markets. Nearly twice as many voters (50%) say competitive power markets are more effective than energy monopolies when it comes to ensuring reliable service during extreme weather events than those who believe monopolies are more effective (26%).
- 62% of U.S. voters said competitive markets are the most effective model for lowering energy costs, while just 18% said the same for monopoly markets.
- 74% of U.S. voters agree that competition among electricity providers would help facilitate increased use of renewable energy in their state.
- 58% said competitive markets are the best model for promoting new technologies and innovation in the energy market.
Affordability and reliability are the most important factors Americans consider when choosing their energy supplier.
- 97% of U.S. voters said reliability is very (84%) or somewhat important (13%).
- 97% also said affordability is very (79%) or somewhat important (18%).
While Americans support increasing renewable resources, a large majority support underpinning the reliability of these resources at an affordable cost by maintaining non-renewable power plants. However, most voters do not want to see electricity bills rise to support older technology as new, more affordable options become available.
- 81% said it’s “somewhat” or “very” important for energy suppliers to continue operating non-renewable sources to maintain reliability until 100% renewable power is viable.
- 54% disagree that electricity rates for individual ratepayers should increase to cover the cost of operating more expensive generation facilities.
Support for consumer choice in energy markets also extends to individual states. Polling in Virginia and Illinois shows that voters in these states value the ability to choose who supplies power to their homes and are concerned by allegations of corruption with energy monopolies in their states.
At the state level:
Virginia
- 78% of Virginians say the ability to choose who powers their homes is important to them.
- 79% support requiring the state’s electricity providers to participate in a regional transmission system.
Illinois
- 79% of Illinois voters said allegations of corruption by the state’s energy monopoly are somewhat or very concerning.
Methodology: This poll was conducted by Morning Consult between June 23-27, 2021 and surveyed a national sample of 2,200 Registered Voters as well as 1,343 Registered Voters from Virginia, Illinois, and New Jersey for a total of 3,543 respondents. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of voters based on gender, educational attainment, age, race, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
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The Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA) is the national trade association representing America’s competitive power suppliers. EPSA members provide about 150,000 MW of reliable and competitively priced electricity from environmentally responsible facilities using a diverse mix of fuels and technologies including natural gas, wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, storage, biomass, and coal. EPSA seeks to bring the benefits of competition to all power customers. Learn more at www.epsa.org and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter @EPSAnews.
