Nearly half the British public believe investing in renewables is the top priority for energy security, according to a new poll.
Nearly half the British public believe investing in renewables is the top priority for energy security, according to a new poll.
Perhaps more surprisingly, the view is reflected by voters across the four largest parties – including UKIP.
Almost half (48 per cent) of those surveyed picked investing in renewables as their number one energy priority, far ahead of building new nuclear reactors, which came in second at a distant 15 per cent. Support for fracking trails fourth at 13 per cent, after ‘reducing consumption’.
Fracking was even less popular in the forty most marginal Tory/Labour seats, with just 8 per cent seeing it as the most important energy priority – a worrying finding for pro-fracking incumbents.
Just 2 per cent of UKIP supporters think that reducing the number of future onshore wind-farms should the government’s main priority, while 37 per cent believe that investing in renewables is the most important energy need.
Securing our energy supplies was seen as a top five priority for the majority of voters, with 53 per cent ranking it an urgent issue.
Commenting on the poll, RenewableUK chief executive Maria McCaffery said:
“This poll shows that the public want to tackle our energy security crisis by investing in renewables like wind, wave and tidal power and offsetting the need to import volatile and dirty fossil fuels from insecure parts of the world. Onshore wind, as the cheapest low carbon electricity source is a crucial component of that so it’s no wonder that the electorate will reject Parties that rule out its future use.”
The ComRes poll for RenewableUK follows a study last week which showed that politicians opposing wind development are a ‘turn off’ for voters.
63 Responses to “Half UK voters support renewable energy as ‘top priority’”
itdoesntaddup
So, we’re importing the plant from France for £16bn. Minimal imports?
Leon Wolfeson
Importing a design, As you want to import drill designs from America. Oh wait, no, you want to import complete drills!
Uranium is a small part of the costs, and that’s the input right there!
Also, I’m not tied into a single supplier ideologically as you are.
itdoesntaddup
You’re tied to Arreva right now.
Leon Wolfeson
No, that’s just your wild accusation. Or an internet threat, same difference.
Obvious as heck I’m on the right track, you’re shilling for a specific company here as you failing try to accuse me of being you. No surprises at all! (You’re also, of course, a one-issue shill).
Leon Wolfeson
You’re making up things again I see.
I actually said I agreed with him on *one* issue, which you’re now spinning off into a conspiracy theory.