Morning Consult polling for EPSA shows 66% of U.S. adults are concerned about the likelihood of power outages this summer.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2023
CONTACT: Christina Nyquist | 603.930.8818 | cnyquist@epsa.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Americans want policymakers to do more to safeguard the reliability of our electric grid, 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 and download the fact sheet here.
Consumers reported growing concern about the possibility of power outages this summer, joining a chorus of voices including regional grid operators, federal regulators, and experts including the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, who have warned that extreme weather and policy choices are putting unprecedented stress on the grid. Two-thirds of respondents are worried about the possibility of blackouts this summer and nearly half report that their concerns have grown since last year. Nearly 70% said they are concerned by warnings from the nation’s largest grid operator, PJM Interconnection, that government policies are driving power plant retirements faster than adequate replacements can be brought online to secure reliable electricity.
“There is an increasing realization that reliability has to be first. EPSA and our member companies have been out there on the front lines—providing reliable, cost-effective, and clean energy to customers—despite a gathering storm of factors that make that more challenging every year,” said EPSA President and CEO Todd Snitchler. “This data confirms that Americans are worried, and they want policymakers to act fast.”
“Competitive markets have proven to be the strongest model for providing electricity to consumers reliably and affordably, and they have led the way when it comes to innovation and the energy transition,” Snitchler continued. “As policymakers look to ever-more-ambitious climate programs and targets, we have to ensure that well-intentioned policies are not making it harder for markets to deliver the power that American homes and businesses rely on.”
Key findings from the survey conducted June, 2023 include:
Reliability and Affordability are Americans’ top energy priorities.
- 56% of poll respondents say U.S. policymakers should be doing more to ensure electric grid reliability.
- 70% say reliable electricity should not be sacrificed for new laws and regulations aimed at addressing climate change.
- 83% rank reliability or affordability as their top energy concern.
Americans are concerned about the future of the grid.
- 66% of U.S. adults are very or somewhat concerned about the likelihood of power outages this summer.
- 68% are concerned that government policies leading to power plant closures do not provide adequate replacements to support reliable electricity.
- 36% are worried that the transition to low emitting resources will make power outages more likely.
- 50% of consumers are not convinced the technology exists to achieve net zero emissions exists.
- 78% are concerned about the potential for their electricity bills to increase.
Consumers think competitive power markets are the right choice.
- 51% would prefer to live in a competitive power market.
- 52% expect lower prices in a competitive market compared to an energy monopoly.
- 66% of adults agree that individual ratepayers should not be responsible for excess costs associated with over-budget energy infrastructure projects.
Methodology: This poll was conducted between June 23-June 25, 2023 among a sample of 2,205 U.S. adults. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, gender, race, educational attainment, 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.
