North Dakotans Also Favor Supporting Research and Development to Protect Jobs and Enhance the Economy

A new poll completed by the Lignite Energy Council and the Coalition for a Secure Energy Future confirms North Dakotans strongly support the coal industry.

North Dakota voters remain strongly supportive of the use of coal to produce electricity in the state and are also quick to recognize the coal industry is a key component of the state’s economy. These sentiments reach across partisan, regional and ideological divides. In total, 77 percent of voters in the state favor coal as an energy source. There is also clear support for prioritizing the development of domestic energy sources such as coal, oil and gas.

“The poll confirms what those in the industry have known for a long time — the public supports further investment in research and development to upgrade existing plants, as well as building new near-zero emissions coal-based power plants,” said Lignite Energy Council President Jason Bohrer.

Looking toward the future of coal in the state, robust support for the industry is evident:

• 70 percent of North Dakota voters believe coal mining should continue in the state for the next 50 years.
• 87 percent support research and development projects that could lead to capturing carbon dioxide from coal plants, new near-zero emissions coal-based power plants and protecting North Dakota jobs.
• 93 percent believe North Dakota’s coal industry provides jobs, tax revenue and affordable electricity that helps keep North Dakota’s economy robust.
• 88 percent believe coal is vital-to-important to the region’s power supply and without it, their electricity costs would increase.

Finally, voters strongly agree that the coal industry is crucial to keeping the state’s economy strong and vitally important to the region’s energy supply.

The poll was conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and surveyed 400 likely voters in North Dakota. The poll was conducted in April 2017.

To learn more about the poll and its results, visit https://lignite.com/coal-strong/new-poll-shows-overwhelming-support-for-north-dakota-coal-industry/