The Consumers Energy Alliance (CEA), an industry coalition whose members include Dominion Energy and the Virginia Manufacturers Association (which is also represented on the group’s Board of Directors), this week released results of a public opinion survey conducted in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina claiming widespread public support for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP). The CEA results contradict a September 2016 survey conducted among Virginians by the Chesapeake Climate Action Alliance and Virginia Organizing that found 2-1 opposition to new natural gas pipelines (28% in favor, 55% opposed).
The CEA survey asked interviewees two questions:
- Have you heard or read anything about a proposed natural gas pipeline from West Virginia, to public utilities in Virginia and North Carolina, or is that not something you have heard or read about? (Positive responses were: VA, 53%; WV, 62%; and NC, 50%.)
- Have you heard or read anything about a proposed natural gas pipeline from West Virginia, to public utilities in Virginia and North Carolina, or is that not something you have heard or read about?
In answer to the second question, the reported survey results for each state were:
| State | Strongly Support |
Somewhat Support |
TOTAL Support |
Strongly Oppose |
Somewhat Oppose |
TOTAL Oppose |
Don’t Know | |
| VA | 20% | 34% | 54% | 16% | 15% | 31% | 14% | |
| WV | 26 | 33 | 60 | 16 | 11 | 28 | 12 | |
| NC | 18 | 34 | 52 | 15 | 18 | 32 | 15 |
The North Carolina results also included support/opposition figures for the counties through which the pipeline would traverse. In those counties, support for the ACP was cited at 60%, opposition at 29%.
Two other interesting features of the survey concerned the demographics:
- Those interviewed in each state tended to be older than the population. 27% of Virginians interviewed were over 65, while the state’s 65+ population is 12%. For North Carolina, 37% of interviewees were 65+, while 13% of the state is. In West Virginia, 23% of interviewees were 65+, but only 16% of the state’s population is.
- There was a decidedly stronger show of support for the pipeline among men than women. In Virginia, 65% of men supported the ACP, but only 45% of women. In North Carolina, support was 62% among men, 44% among women. In West Virginia, 67% of men were favorable, while 52% of women were.
The survey was conducted by Hickman Analytics, Inc., a Washington, DC-based polling firm. The survey interviewees were all registered voters and were interviewed by telephone between May 9 and 11, 2017. Those surveyed totaled 660 persons in NC, 405 in WV and 500 in Virginia. The CCAN/Virginia Organizing survey sample totaled 732 persons.
ABRA’s Communication Committee is analyzing the survey results and contemplating appropriate responses.