Trade association RenewableUK has published a new poll showing the British public’s support for cross-party consensus on investment in renewable energy projects that would lead to lower consumer bills and help improve the UK’s energy security.
The poll – conducted by Opinium on 10,021 people under commission by RenewableUK – showed that public support was “overwhelming,” according to the trade association’s press release – with 79% of the population seeking increased cooperation between political parties to maximise investments in clean energy.
According to the poll, mainstream party voters across the UK are mostly in agreement, with 82% of SNP voters in support, 81% of Conservatives, 86% of Labour, 89% of Lib Dem and 69% of voters from Reform UK.
RenewableUK additionally commissioned an investigation by Aurora Energy Research into which electricity system built by 2035 would be cheapest for consumers in the long term.
Results showed that offshore wind would be the best choice by far – being cheaper than both gas (with or without carbon capture and storage) and power imported from abroad through interconnectors.
Despite the variability of renewables, the consultancy’s research showed billpayers would not be any worse off with a transition to clean energy, with a system dominated by offshore wind likely to save the public £68 per year by 2035 compared to a scenario in which the government chose not to increase investment in renewables.
“A scenario in which the UK scraps its net zero ambitions in favour of unabated gas would not only leave consumers £39 a year worse, but would also leave billpayers exposed to the risk of being over £133 worse off each year if the UK were to experience sustained high gas prices, as we have in recent years,” RenewableUK noted, adding that the analysis showed wind offered increased security for consumers over imported gas, which fluctuates in cost frequently.
New offshore wind power procured in annual auctions by governments are secured at a fixed price, seeing offshore wind companies pay consumers back when the price of electricity climbs.
RenewableUK chief executive Dan McGrail said Aurora’s findings showed “shifting to an energy system dominated by offshore wind and renewables is the best decision for billpayers – and that’s including all the costs involved in managing the variable generation of renewables, such as storage and network upgrades”.
Aurora Energy Research senior associate, UK & Ireland advisory, Malavika Gode summarised that Aurora had found “additional offshore wind capacity is one of the key pillars of a decarbonised power system.” She also mentioned that power systems containing large elements of offshore wind would “provide a buffer against global gas price volatility.”
McGrail continued, saying that he hoped all main party manifestos would reflect the high levels of public support for increased investment in renewables, concluding: “The UK should be much more ambitious about the number of wind farms we confirm each year, sending a positive signal to investors in new projects and manufacturers in new supply chains, as well as securing cheap electricity for billpayers and boosting our energy security.”
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