Offshore Wind Gets 73 Pct Support in UK

RenewableUK, the trade and professional body representing the wind and marine energy industries, has welcomed the publication of a new Government survey which confirms that public support for wind energy remains overwhelmingly high.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change has published an update of its Public Attitudes Tracker, showing that 77% of people support the use of renewable energy to provide electricity, and only 4% oppose renewables.

Developing offshore wind as a source of renewable energy enjoys 73% public support. Wave and tidal also scores highly at 72%. Two-thirds of those questioned (66%) support the development of onshore wind.

On the key question of energy security, the survey showed that 74% of people are concerned about the UK becoming too dependent on energy from other countries – and 71% of people are worried that the UK is not investing fast enough in alternative sources of energy.

Maria McCaffery, Chief Executive of RenewableUK, said:

“A whole series of independent opinion polls has proved time and time again in the last few months that the public has an enormous appetite for the development of renewable energy. The Government’s official poll is the latest piece of good news in a very large jigsaw – and it will serve to boost confidence in our sector even higher.

“The proof is consistent and overwhelming – wind, wave and tidal power is being seen by the vast majority of the public as the way we will generate increasing amounts of clean energy from secure home grown sources.

“We welcome the fact that the Department of Energy and Climate Change has decided to quantify this level of support on an ongoing basis, as it provides strong justification for the all members of the Government to support the greater deployment of renewables.”

The wide-ranging survey of 2,100 people was carried out for DECC in June and July. The Tracker was first launched in March, and this is the first update, showing that support for renewables has remained consistently high. The poll will be carried out four times a year.

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Press release, September 19, 2012; Image: Vattenfall