Support for wind power among Brits grows to 68%

About 68% of Brits approve onshore wind farms, while only 10% are against their construction, trade body RenewableUK said Tuesday, citing a survey.

The public support for wind power has increased from 67% in November 2014 and opposition has fallen from 12%.

According to the survey, conducted by the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) between December 10, 2014 and January 8, 2015, about 74% of Britons favour offshore wind. The result indicates that the British Conservative party is “totally wrong to claim that people are “fed up with” onshore wind,” RenewableUK’s director of policy, Gordon Edge, said. The Conservatives have stated they would not subsidise the development of new onshore wind farms if they win the elections in 2015.

Meanwhile, the wave and tidal energy sector is backed by 74% of the British population, up from 73% previously. The poll also showed that public support for fracking for shale gas has declined from 26% to 24%.

DECC’s survey was carried out under its Public Attitudes Tracker series and included some 2,119 of UK households.

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