Features

WASHINGTON — 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 Chandler, 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?”