Survey: $5 Gasoline By Labor Day - Are Most Americans Now Expecting It?

Poll to Show If Voters 'Angry' About Gas Prices Now Strongly Favor Far-Reaching Energy and Climate Solutions, 'Energy Independence Day' by 2015

WASHINGTON, -- While Washington tinkers with the notion of expanded offshore drilling, a sizable number of Americans expects gasoline prices to hit $5 by Labor Day and favors bolder and more fundamental energy- and climate-related fixes, according to a new national opinion survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) for the nonprofit and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute (CSI) think tank and its Citizens Lead for Energy Action Now (CLEAN) project (www.cleanenergyaction.net). The major CSI/CLEAN survey will be released during a live, phone-based national news conference at 1:30 p.m. EDT on June 26, 2008.

In an earlier January 2008 ORC survey conducted for CSI/CLEAN, 71 percent of Americans correctly forecast that gasoline prices would hit $4 by this summer. The new CSI/CLEAN survey looks ahead to expectations about Labor Day 2008, gauges the level of anger among Americans about today's gasoline prices, and assesses how gas prices/energy policy will impact the thinking of voters this year. The survey also shows how many Americans favor the idea of a national goal of "Energy Independence Day" by 2015, taking more aggressive action to deal with energy and climate problems, and also making different personal choices, such as buying a hybrid or other fuel-efficient vehicle.

  News event speakers will be:

  --  Civil Society Institute President and Founder Pam Solo; and

  --  Opinion Research Corporation Senior Researcher Graham Hueber.

TO PARTICIPATE: You can join this live, phone-based news conference (with full, two-way Q&A) at 1:30 p.m. EDT/10:30 a.m. PDT on June 19, 2008 by dialing 1 (800) 860-2442. Ask for the "high gas prices/energy policy survey" news event.