A new poll by the South Carolina Petroleum Council (SCPC) indicates that 67 percent of South Carolinian voters — 83 percent of Republicans, 62 percent of Independents and 54 percent of Democrats — support U.S. investment in offshore oil and natural gas development, with 91 percent of these voters agreeing that the U.S. should move toward investing in energy.
SCPC Executive Director Bonnie Loomis said strong bipartisan support for energy is important, as it creates more jobs in South Carolina.
“Cutting-edge technologies and a core value of safety have helped make the U.S. the number one producer of oil and natural gas in the world while protecting the environment and creating jobs in South Carolina,” Loomis said.
The South Carolina poll included 600 registered voters, with 92 percent agreeing that an increase in oil and natural gas production could lead to more jobs, and 86 percent agreeing that more U.S. oil and natural gas would cut the cost of energy for U.S. residents. In addition, 84 percent of all who responded to the poll agreed that U.S. investment in oil and natural gas would assist both federal and state budgets,with 84 percent also agreeing that domestic oil and natural gas would increase security and help free the U.S. from dependence on foreign oil suppliers.
Loomis said involvement in energy development would not only assist in lowering gas prices, but also create over 35,000 jobs in South Carolina.
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