Brits love solar - Pelican Communications

A clear and consistent majority of people is in favour of increased investment in renewable energy, according to the results of a major new poll that will provide a boost to those ministers currently opposing the chancellor’s plans for a new “dash for gas”.

The YouGov survey of over 1,700 adults commissioned by the Sunday Times reveals 72% of respondents think the UK should be looking to use more solar power, while 55% think it should be trying to use more wind power.

The high levels of support for solar power are consistent across all age groups, voting intentions and regions, with just five per cent of people saying the UK should use less solar power than it does at present.

There is similarly consistent support for increased investment in wind energy capacity, with support for greater use of wind power only slipping below 50% among Conservative voters, the over 60s, and social grades C2DE – and even then the proportion calling for more wind power far outstrips the proportion demanding a reduction in wind energy capacity.

In contrast, just 17% of people want to see more coal or more gas-fired power plants, while 43 and 36% respectively want to see less.

Support for more nuclear power has risen in the past year from 35 to 40% of respondents, although 20% said they want to see less nuclear, 21% said they wanted to maintain current levels, and 19% were unsure.

Proposals for gas fracking projects that are increasingly favoured by some Conservative ministers also faced decidedly mixed public opinion, with 32% of people saying the government should support fracking, 30% saying it should not, and 38% saying they don’t know.