Majority of Texans favor U.S. geothermal expansion, survey shows

Houston, Texas (source: araza123 / flickr, Creative Commons)

A survey conducted by the Hobby School of Public Affairs of the University of Houston shows that a majority of the responders in Texas favor the expansion of the reliance of the United States on geothermal power plants as an energy source. More specifically, the survey results show that 59% are in favor of geothermal expansion, 14% are in favor of reduction, while 27% prefer that the current status quo be maintained.

The survey was fielded between January 9 to 19, 2023 using an online platform. It was delivered in both English and Spanish and had a total of 1,200 respondents corresponding to a confidence interval of +/- 2.8%. The full report on the survey results can be accessed via this link.

The survey and corresponding report is part of the Texas Legislative Issues 2023 project which examines public opinion about a range of issues that may help in the decision-making process of Texas legislators. The energy report (the 7th of 7 reports) tackles topics such as the energy sources in the United States and the potential support for alternative energy sources via state funds and legislation.

The full report further breaks down the results of the survey in terms of age group, gender, ethnicity, educational attainment, and partisanship.

Texas has been a hotbed of geothermal activity in recent years. This has prompted a cross-collaborative effort of researchers and industry partners to publish a landmark study earlier in the year. The study “The Future of Geothermal in Texas: The Coming Century of Growth & Prosperity in the Lone Star State” examines the geothermal resources of Texas, as well as the role of the oil and gas industry in scaling up the geothermal industry.

Source: University of Houston