GS Strategy Group’s Robert Jones Discusses Voters’ Focus on Energy Costs and Bipartisan Support for Permitting Reform

September 17, 2026

WASHINGTON – The American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC) today released a new podcast episode of Longer Laterals featuring Robert Jones, Partner at GS Strategy Group. The episode discusses how voters view rising energy costs, domestic oil and natural gas production, and the need to make it easier to permit and build new energy projects.

“I was surprised to see how deeply impacted people are by energy costs,” said Jones. “80 percent of voters said their bills have gone up. We also had about 80 percent of voters who said they understand the positive impact that oil and gas have on keeping bills affordable. So across the political spectrum, you have this agreement that not only are costs going up, but agreement about a solution – and that’s really rare.”

According to Jones, voters link policies that support domestic energy development with the opportunity to lower costs.

“There are policy proposals out there right now that voters understand, support, and connect directly to lower costs. We asked about whether it should be easier or harder to permit new oil and gas production, and really any energy process, and 60% of voters said it should be easier.” That support spans a broad bipartisan coalition, including strong majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike.

Read the full polling memo from GS Strategy Group here.

About Longer Laterals  

Hosted by Anne Bradbury, Longer Laterals takes you beyond the headlines to explore the driving forces shaping U.S. oil and natural gas today. Each episode, Anne sits down with the key energy players to unpack the policies, challenges, and opportunities that impact jobs, communities, and America’s role as a global energy leader.   

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