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Clean Power Communities May Benefit from Wind Farms

Published on November 5th, 2014 | by Joshua S Hill

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Renewable Energy Continues To Receive Massive UK Support

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November 5th, 2014 by  

Results from the latest public attitudes tracking survey conducted by the UK Department of Energy & Climate Change again show overwhelming support for the country’s renewable energy industry.

The survey is conducted over several days in face-to-face interviews, using a representative sample of 2,103 UK households. The questions asked have been relatively similar over the past several surveys, as have the answers — a rarity, I have found, in polls regarding energy policy and the like, which often fluctuate wildly along with the prevailing politics.

When asked whether respondents “support or oppose the use of renewable energy for providing our electricity, fuel and heat,” an overwhelming majority responded in the positive. 27% of respondents “strongly support” such a decision, while 51% “support” (15% “neither support or oppose”, while a combined 5% “strongly oppose” or “oppose” renewable energy).

In fact, when asked about specific renewable energy technologies — including wave and tidal, solar, offshore and onshore wind, amongst others — the overwhelming response was positive, hovering around 25% “strongly supporting” and 50% “supporting” such technologies.

Energy saving was another strong issue raised by the survey, with 27% of respondents concerning themselves “a lot” with saving energy in their homes, and 48% “a fair amount”.

Support of nuclear energy was lacklustre, but so was opposition to nuclear, with total support at 42% and total opposition at 24%. Needless to say, the nuclear vs. renewable energy debate is one that will continue for some time in the UK.

James Murray from Business Green extracted a quote from director of external affairs at RenewableUK, Jennifer Webber:

“It’s clear from this independent poll that while public support for wind and marine energy remains rock solid with a two-thirds majority or higher, people are increasingly disenchanted with non-renewable technologies,” she said. “This latest survey should prompt politicians from all parties to sit up and take notice of the majority of the public, who’ve made it clear that they support onshore and offshore wind power”.

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About the Author

I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.


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  • Larmion

    The problem with this type of survey is that they ask a very broad question: ‘do you like renewables’?

    Once the question becomes: ‘would you like wind turbines in your community’ support drops through the floor. If it is ‘would you be prepared to pay a surcharge for renewable energy’ the answer still would be no – even though renewables work out cheaper once externalities are factored in.

    To get to know what people really think about renewables, look at what happens when the construction of wind turbines in a given community is proposed. Unlike in a country like Germany where local support is typically strong-ish, the British will have an army of NIMBY’s on site in minutes.

    Some other forms of renewables, marine power and offshore wind in particular, don’t offend anyone’s sense of aesthetics but cost a huge amount of money. How many people would accept the required price rise?

    As for nuclear: support is low, but so seems vocal opposition. A nuclear power plant is a highly centralized thing: it’s built in one community – that you can bribe if you have to – and doesn’t bother anyone else. And there’s the perception that it’s cheap (which is as wrong as the perception that it’s dangerous).

    Moral of the story: that people support something in principle doesn’t mean they support it when it begins to affect them directly. Schemes like handing out some shares in renewable installations to local residents can do a lot to ease opposition, but they come at a cost and the vocal minority will always be obstructive.

    • Bob_Wallace

      “And there’s the perception that it’s cheap (which is as wrong as the perception that it’s dangerous).”

      The probability of a nuclear meltdown or other significant disaster is greater than zero. It’s low, but it is not zero. The outcome of a disaster can be severe. I don’t think it’s necessary to post the examples.

      One has to combine the probability of a disaster with the cost of a disaster to make a rational decision about the overall risk associated with nuclear energy.

    • Hans

      Altough the current heather dominated look of the British countryside is the result of a sheep monoculture started during the industrial revolution, British people seem to think of this landscape that it is primordial and have religious like relationship with it. Any change to the landscape is perceived as evil. Germans are a bit more practical in that perspective.

      Another difference is the financial support in the countries. The EEG is Germany allows anybody to start feed in renewable energy and receive a fit in tariff. As a result many wind energy projects come from local co-operatives. The British system favours big concerns. As a result local people feel the wind parks are parachuted upon them.

      Unfortunately, the current German government is changing to the British system that has proven to be more expensive.

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