A left coast ‘thin green line’? Determinants of public attitudes toward fossil fuel export in the Northwestern United States

Abstract

In the wake of the shale revolution and with continuing coal plant retirements, United States energy companies and fossils-rich states are increasingly seeking outlets to sell oil, gas, and coal overseas. Deepwater ports in the Pacific Northwest region are attractive for their proximity to Western energy fields, yet substantial opposition has emerged in response to proposals to expand export infrastructure in this region. We examine public response to oil, natural gas, and coal export using results of a 2018 survey (n = 960) fielded in Washington State. Results indicate that respondents were overall more opposed than supportive of expanding fossil fuels export, though there was more support for natural gas export than coal or oil. Respondents thought transporting oil by ship and natural gas and oil by railroad was risky, and they were most concerned about potential impacts to wildlife and fish habitat, water quality, and the global climate. We examined individual and contextual independent variables in regression models, and find that respondents who were male, politically conservative, didn’t think humans were causing global warming, and were more familiar with energy export were more supportive. Furthermore, living in eastern Washington, near a railroad, and near export facilities was related to higher support.