Poll Shows Concern About Energy

By WILL LESTER, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - More than half of Americans are concerned that California-like energy problems could hit their communities, yet most oppose exploring for more oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, according to a poll by The Associated Press.

A majority say higher fuel prices already affect them a lot, and six in 10 are concerned they could experience problems like the power shortages, high prices and intermittent blackouts in California, said the poll, conducted for The AP by ICR of Media, Pa.

About half of those worried about the problem said they are very concerned. Half the poll respondents in Western states said they were very concerned, compared with one in five in the South and Midwest and about a fourth in the Northeast. Blacks were twice as likely as whites to be very concerned.

People were about evenly split on whether the federal government should help California solve its problems. Young adults between 18 and 34 were twice as likely as senior citizens to say the federal government should help.

"I think the federal government should step in and do something, just so people can afford their energy," said Patricia Chandler, a 31-year-old businesswoman from Herrin, Ill. "It's pretty bad when people have to turn the heat down just to pay their bills."

Some have little sympathy for California, which has experienced problems in recent weeks after the state deregulated its power industry, allowing producers to sell at market levels, while limiting utilities from passing along the soaring energy costs. The state has struggled to keep the lights on over many recent days.

"Californians made their own bed, they need to lie in it," said Gerald Eisenhour, a 64-year-old retired chemical plant operator from Cold Springs, Texas. "They're the ones who did not build their power plants. Why should the rest of the country bail them out?"

Forty-six percent of those in the poll believe President Bush can handle the nation's energy problems effectively, 38 percent think not. More than half of Democrats said he would not be effective and independents were about evenly split in the poll of 1,033 taken Friday through Tuesday. The poll has an error margin of 3 percentage points.

"I think Bush has got the right people, and he's going at it the right way," said Eisenhour, who describes himself as a conservative Republican.

The president has said California generally will have to resolve its own problems, though the administration has signaled it would be willing to roll back pollution requirements at the state's power plants and find other ways to help the state.

More broadly, Bush has asked Vice President Dick Cheney to lead the development of an energy plan to address the nation's needs. The administration is in favor of opening the Arctic refuge for energy exploration. Some have accused Bush of using California's woes as a way to promote his plan to explore for oil on protected Alaska lands.

The poll suggests he has plenty of work to do on that front. Just over half, 53 percent, said they oppose the plan to explore for oil in the protected Arctic wilderness, while 33 percent favor the idea. An additional 13 percent said they didn't know.

"I think they should open up the Arctic," said Bill Metheny, a retired crane operator from Anita, Iowa, and a Democrat. "People are freezing to death and they can't heat their homes."

Just over half of Republicans say they favor the plan. More than six in 10 registered voters said they oppose the Arctic drilling, as well as more than half, 56 percent, of independents and two-thirds of Democrats.

"I don't think they should explore for energy there because it's a wildlife refuge," said Herrin, the Illinois businesswoman and a Democrat. "If they reserved it for the animals, they should leave it for the animals."

"Why don't they look in Texas and Wyoming"? said Evelyn Stickley, a 52-year-old independent from Ohio, making a pointed reference to the home states of the president and vice president. "Why go up there where the wildlife is protected?"

The Associated Press poll on energy is based on telephone interviews with 1,033 adults from all states except Alaska and Hawaii. The interviews were conducted Jan. 26-30 by ICR of Media, Pa.

Results were weighted to represent the population by demographic factors such as age, sex, region and education.

No more than one time in 20 should chance variations in the sample cause the results to vary by more than 3 percentage points from the answers that would be obtained if all Americans were polled.

The margin of sampling error is larger for responses of subgroups, such as income categories or those in political parties. There are other sources of potential error in polls, including the wording and order of questions.

The poll's questions:

1. Do you think George W. Bush will or will not be able to handle the nation's energy problems effectively?

Will, 46 percent
Will not, 38 percent
Don't know, 16 percent
Refused, 0 percent

2. Do you favor or oppose opening up part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for oil exploration?

Favor, 33 percent
Oppose, 53 percent
Don't know, 13 percent
Refused, 1 percent

3. How much do higher prices for gasoline, natural gas and home heating oil affect you personally - a lot, some, not much or not at all?

A lot, 51 percent
Some, 31 percent
Not much, 11 percent
Not at all, 6 percent
Don't know, 1 percent
Refused, 0 percent

4. As you may know, California has been experiencing serious power shortages and has had periodic blackouts. Do you think the federal government should help states solve such problems or do you think states should be responsible for solving their own power problems?

Federal government should help, 45 percent
States should be responsible, 49 percent
Don't know, 5 percent
Refused, 1 percent

5. How concerned are you that there could be energy problems in your community in the coming months similar to those that California has experienced recently - very concerned, somewhat concerned, not very concerned, not at all concerned?

Very concerned, 28 percent
Somewhat concerned, 32 percent
Not very concerned, 24 percent
Not at all concerned, 16 percent
Don't know, 0 percent
Refused, 0 percent

Details from The Associated Press poll on energy:

Percentage of those who favor opening Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for oil exploration.

By voting status:
Registered voters, 23 percent
Not registered, 36 percent

By party ID:
Democrats, 22 percent
Republicans, 53 percent
Independents, 30 percent

By sex:
Male, 40 percent
Female, 27 percent

Percentage of those who say they're "very concerned" that their own community could face energy problems similar to those that California has experienced recently.

By region:
Northeast, 27 percent
Midwest, 20 percent
South, 21 percent
West, 48 percent

By race:
Black, 50 percent
White, 24 percent

By education level:
High school or less, 31 percent
Some college, 31 percent
College or more, 18 percent

Percentage of those who say the federal government should help states solve problems like the ones faced now by California.

By age groups:
18-34, 56 percent
35-44, 44 percent
45-54, 49 percent
55-64, 33 percent
64 and over, 31 percent

By party ID:
Democrats, 53 percent
Republicans, 33 percent
Independents, 50 percent

By race:
Blacks, 57 percent
Whites, 43 percent

AP-NY-02-01-01 1415 EST