Voters in New Hampshire Want Their Next U.S. Senator to Back an All of the Above Energy Approach by 26-Point Margin

(New Hampshire) – With two open U.S. Senate and Congressional seats during next year’s midterm elections, New Hampshire voters will once again host another competitive election year, just as Presidential candidates from around the country assess their 2028 prospects as well. Against that backdrop, a new survey of 500 registered New Hampshire voters released by Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future has found that:

• 58% of New Hampshire voters support a candidate for U.S. Senate who works with both parties to advance an all-of-the-above energy approach including natural gas, compared to just 32% who want a candidate who aligns with colleagues like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in support of a Green New Deal
• 63% of New Hampshire voters support a balanced policy of more renewables and more natural gas, including 71% of Democrats
• Voters support energy choice by a 71-19% margin over required electrification that moves away from natural gas
• 72% feel their electric bills are too high
• 71% are concerned with their own economic situation
• By a 56-19% margin, New Hampshire voters have a positive opinion of natural gas
• 67% want elected officials to focus on policies that reduce cost burdens on low-income communities
• Gov. Kelly Ayotte has a strong 50-35% job approval rating
• Just 9% of residents are very or somewhat likely to convert their home to an electric-only heat pump, which cost about $770 more annually on average to operate than a gas furnace. Electric-only heat pumps are frequently cited by some as a solution to move households off natural gas, such as in Massachusetts, despite muted consumer demand

“In an already uncertain economic environment, it is no surprise that residents care first and foremost about affordable and reliable energy,” said former Mayor Michael Nutter (D-Philadelphia) and Natural Allies Leadership Council Co-Chair. “Coming out of the 2024 election, Democrats particularly in states like New Hampshire need to find their way back to common sense policies that put affordability and kitchen table issues first. It’s where independent and working-class voters are. Advancing balanced energy policies, that include both renewables, nuclear and natural gas, is a political winner and key to tackling our energy affordability and climate challenges together.”

Natural Allies tested six policy proposals to address New Hampshire and New England’s shared reliability and affordability challenges now and in the years ahead. Among the top three solutions were more zero-carbon nuclear plants (64%), balancing renewables and natural gas together (63%), and building new underground natural gas pipelines from Pennsylvania (62%). Notably, the least popular proposal, which tested the region’s de facto energy approach including stopping natural gas pipelines, burning higher emitting fuel oil for electricity, and purchasing foreign natural gas (as the region did from Russia in 2018), was less popular (22%) than burning more coal (37%).

A recent report by the Democrat-aligned Progressive Policy Institute found that an energy transition without natural gas would increase energy cost burdens among populations that could least afford it. The report used Boston as a case study and found the highest energy cost burdens fell almost exactly on neighborhoods with the highest Black populations. A clear majority of New Hampshire voters (67%) agreed elected officials needed to focus on reducing cost burdens on low-income communities, rather than advancing zero-carbon policies even if it meant higher costs for those who could least afford it (14%).

“While many believe politically blue states are against natural gas, our data shows even in Democratic bastions like New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts that voters do in fact support natural gas and want it working with renewables,” added former Congressman and current Natural Allies Leadership Council Co-Chair Tim Ryan (D-OH). “New Hampshire is no different. Candidates should listen and support a balanced, affordable, all of the above energy strategy.”

The poll was commissioned by Natural Allies for a Clean Energy Future and conducted by MAD Global Strategy, a bipartisan public strategy firm. The data is based on a text-to-web survey of 500 registered voters residing in the state of New Hampshire, from May 14-18, as part of a larger 8-state regional survey (n=4,000) in the Northeastern United States on energy related issues. This state-based data follows the release of New Jersey, Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts results.

For additional survey questions and results, click here for the full memorandum.