Public sentiment on renewable energy falls to almost 50pc

Only 53 per cent feel positive about the renewable energy transition, down from a high of 70 per cent in August 2022

A new poll suggests support for renewable energy is slipping.

Public sentiment about the shift to renewable energy has plunged, with only 53 per cent feeling positive about the transition, down from a high of 70 per cent in August 2022.

An SEC Newgate Mood of the Nation poll of almost 1600 Australians conducted last month also showed that while 52 per cent of voters felt the transition was moving too slowly, 83 per cent wanted people affected by new energy infrastructure to be compensated and treated fairly.

Eighty per cent of respondents support new electricity projects in their area if there are broader benefits for local communities. Almost 60 per cent said they would support new energy infrastructure if they couldn’t see it from their property.

Support for electricity generation projects was highest for solar farms (79 per cent), hydro (78 per cent), waste-to-energy (77 per cent), onshore wind farms (68 per cent) and offshore wind farms (64 per cent). Nuclear power plants were backed by 38 per cent of Australians ahead of gas-fired power (30 per cent) and coal-fired power (28 per cent).

SEC Newgate managing partner Sue Vercoe said “we know there is growing disquiet and debate in regional and rural communities about what the unprecedented level of new energy infrastructure development means for their way of life”.

“What the tracking research shows is that there remains broad support for a speedier energy transition and for Australia to meet its net zero commitments. However, there is clearly more work to be done with engaging with local communities and building the social licence for this rapid change,” Ms Vercoe said.

“We know from our experience, using a co-design approach is the clearest pathway to social licence. It makes a real difference if community feedback is considered early in project design, rather than just presenting them with pre-prepared options.

“This underscores the need for meaningful and early engagement, where communities are front and centre in deciding what benefits are delivered and how impacts should be managed.”

Infrastructure Partnerships Australia chief executive Adrian Dwyer said “underserviced demand for investment, plant and people, and the challenges with establishing and maintaining social licence, are putting Australia in the slow lane in the race to net zero”.

“As it stands, there is an estimated $21.7bn of investment in the pipeline for transmission infrastructure and renewables – but we are still trailing well behind the infrastructure that’s needed. If we have any chance of meeting our net zero commitments, we need to get this right,” Mr Dwyer told The Australian.

“The regional communities hosting this infrastructure need to see benefits shared more equitably through a genuine partnership between government, developers and communities.”