New polling reveals the formula for energy project success: local jobs, lower bills, and respect for property rights.
Recent polling shows 84% of voters would be more likely to support power plants when offered bill discounts, with bipartisan backing for community incentives. However, voters draw a clear line at eminent domain, signaling that community benefits—not government coercion—are the path to successful energy infrastructure.
Why It Matters
America’s grid needs massive upgrades to meet surging electricity demand from AI, data centers, and to keep the economy charging ahead. Americans are ready for expansion, but on their terms. We should pair infrastructure investment with community incentives and respect for property rights to find a receptive public.
How to use this data
Use community incentives (bill discounts, local jobs, community funds) as the lead message for energy infrastructure support, address the gender gap in outreach, and avoid an eminent-domain framing to maintain bipartisan backing.
Click on the image below to view the full data or read the summary below.
Polling shows strong bipartisan increases in support for new power plants when community incentives like local jobs, bill discounts, and tax benefits are offered.
- 84% of voters say they would be more likely to support new power plant construction when electric bill discounts are offered, and 83% would be more likely to support when companies commit to hiring local workers.
- Electric bill reductions are the top priority for suburban voters, a critical voting bloc in the House battlegrounds this year, making them “MUCH more likely” to endorse power plants, with 44% expressing this level of enthusiasm.
- More than 75% of voters in both parties say they would be more likely to support power plant projects when companies offer to make additional annual payments to local government.
Grid Infrastructure: Low Awareness, High Support
- Awareness of infrastructure projects is limited. Only 34.1% have seen or heard about transmission line construction, and just 28.5% are aware of substation or distribution line projects.
- Despite low awareness, support is strong. 60.1% support building more transmission lines nationally, with a net support of +44.3.
- Support for building more transmission lines shows a major gender gap, 66.6% of men vs. 41.3% of women, with men’s net support (+47.0) far exceeding women’s (+9.5), highlighting the largest demographic divide across party, age, and education.
Eminent Domain Remains a Tough Sell
- Awareness of infrastructure projects is limited. Only 34.1% have seen or heard about transmission line construction, and just 28.5% are aware of substation or distribution line projects.
- Despite low awareness, support is strong. 60.1% support building more transmission lines nationally, with a net support of +44.3.
- Support for building more transmission lines shows a major gender gap, 66.6% of men vs. 41.3% of women, with men’s net support (+47.0) far exceeding women’s (+9.5), highlighting the largest demographic divide across party, age, and education.
The Bottom Line
Americans broadly support energy infrastructure expansion when it comes with community benefits but they reject government overreach on property rights, making voluntary incentives the winning strategy and eminent domain a project killer.