Americans overwhelmingly believe there is an urgent national need to find new sources of energy, and this need is more important that reducing current energy usage, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

With energy issues taking center stage in the presidential campaign, 81% of Americans see development of new energy sources as an urgent priority. Only 9% disagree.

For nearly two-thirds (65%), finding new sources of energy is more important that reducing the amount of energy Americans now consume. Twenty-eight percent (28%) think reducing current usage is more important.

Although gas prices are dropping slightly after being in the $4-a-gallon range, both presidential candidates are pushing to end U.S. dependence on oil from the Middle East. “For the sake of our economy, our security and the future of our planet, we must end the age of oil in our time,” Democrat Barrack Obama said earlier this week. Obama champions the development of renewable energy sources like wind and solar; Republican John McCain has called for offshore oil drilling and the building of nuclear plants.

But in addition to the need for new energy sources, 67% of adults also believe there is an urgent national need to reduce the amount of energy Americans now consume, although 25% don’t share this belief.

Those likely to vote for Obama see the two needs as almost equal, with 83% characterizing finding new sources of energy as an urgent national need and 80% saying the same of reducing U.S. energy consumption. Among potential voters for Republican John McCain, 80% agree that finding new sources is an urgent need, but only 53% feel that way about reducing energy usage.

Democrats are more divided than Republicans on which is more important. While 57% of Democrats say finding new sources should be the priority, 36% believe that about reducing energy use. By contrast, Republicans lean far more heavily toward finding new energy sources 79% to 15%.

Among unaffiliated voters, 61% say finding new sources is more important, while 31% believe it is more essential to reduce the amount of energy Americans now use.

McCain has gained some momentum on the energy issue since he first proposed in early June lifting the long-standing ban on offshore oil drilling. Most Americans have responded positively to the idea of offshore drilling which Obama strongly opposed for several weeks. The Democrat now appears to be more supportive of it at least in part because, as the New York Post reported today, “Obama's internal polling shows that he's getting killed on this issue.”

A separate Rasmussen Reports survey found that most voters like Obama’s proposal for a $1,000 energy credit for working families. But voters are evenly divided on Obama’s call for a windfall profits tax on oil companies, perhaps because many fear it will lead to higher gas prices.

Obama’s latest proposal -- to draw 70 million barrels of oil from the government’s emergency oil stockpile to help bring gas prices down -- is a lot less popular. Only 31% say that $4-a-gallon gas is the kind of emergency that justifies tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, but 57% disagree.

It’s high gas prices, in fact, that most voters (57%) say are more likely to reduce U.S. energy consumption than actions by the government. Just over one-quarter (26%) of voters say government regulations are more likely to reduce energy usage.

Again, a partisan divide is evident. While 67% of Republicans believe high gas prices are more likely then government regulation to reduce the amount of energy Americans consume, only 49% of Democrats agree. One-third of Democrats think government regulation is more likely to curb energy usage, compared to just 17% of Republicans. For unaffiliated voters, 58% see high gas prices as the answer versus 24% who think government regulation is more likely to reduce consumption.

In a separate survey late last month, McCain had gained ground on Obama on energy issues, with 46% of voters saying they now trusted the GOP candidate more than his opponent in this area versus 42% who say they trust Obama more. Two months ago, Obama held a four-point advantage.

See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs available for Premium Members only.