Voters Are Concerned about Energy Prices and Reliability

As gas prices have spiked nearly 40% this year, it’s no surprise that over half of voters (55%) say they are very concerned about the rising cost of gas, with 79% expressing at least some level of concern. Voters are similarly concerned about electricity grid reliability, albeit with less intensity (70% concerned, 36% very concerned). Meanwhile, just over half (54%) of voters are concerned about data centers being built in their area, with 30% very concerned. While data centers are certainly a growing concern among voters, the price of gas and the reliability of the grid are deemed as more pressing.

Voters also have clear ideas of who should pay for upgrades to the grid. Across party lines, voters believe that the responsibility of upgrading and maintaining the grid should primarily fall on electricity companies (54% overall) and the federal government (37% overall). Notably,Independents are more likely than Democrats or Republicans to say that big tech companies bear responsibility for grid investments.

Voters have clear preferences for some energy sources over others. Solar panels are the most popular overall (net +65) while coal is the least popular (net +2). Much like almost everything these days, the popularity of energy sources is polarized. There is crosspartisan support for solar panels (Democrats net +85 / Republicans net +46) and natural gas (Democrats net +55 / Republicans net +75), but nuclear energy (Democrats net +1 / Republicans net +37) and coal (Democrats net -29 / Republicans net +42) are much more split.

Ultimately, voters are most concerned about the rising prices of gas, followed by the reliability of the electricity grid. They know the importance of reliable energy and think that everyone, including electricity companies, should be doing their share to update the grid.

Methodology

The Searchlight Institute and Tavern Research conducted an online survey of 1,502 likely 2026 voters from April 27 – May 1, 2026. Results were weighted by gender, race, education, age, and 2024 presidential vote choice. The margin of error is ± 3.9 percentage points, and higher for subgroups.