Wales Gives a Thumbs-Up for Wind Energy

RenewableUK, the UK  Industry body, has commissioned a YouGov poll which reveals that there is a great deal of support for renewable energy in Wales. Almost two thirds (64 per cent) of people in Wales support the development of wind power as part of a mix of renewable and conventional energy according to the findings of the poll, which was published this week.

The poll also found that 64 percent of Welsh people are generally in favour of large scale wind projects in their local council area, more than double the number (24 per cent) who said they would support shale gas and the 27 percent in favour of nuclear. The highest support was for renewables such as solar and hydropower, with 82 percent saying they would support these in their local area.

Renewable energy was also popular as the main source for electricity generation. Just over a quarter (26 per cent) said they would like solar to provide the majority of their electricity, 23 percent said hydro and 16 percent said the wind. Fossil fuels were way down the list in terms of popularity. Just four percent said they favoured gas to produce electricity and three percent said coal. Shale gas was favoured by just one per cent.

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Two-thirds of the people surveyed (66 per cent) said that the presence of a wind farm would not affect their decision to visit an area. This is an important finding and shows that while the Welsh Dragon may be red on the outside, it has green at its heart!

Dr David Clubb, the  Director of RenewableUK Cymru, said:

“The poll reaffirms what we already know from our experience talking to people across Wales; the majority of people in Wales are in favour of wind energy and they strongly support the deployment of all forms of renewable energy. This bodes well for a future of more sustainable livelihoods, greater community investment and a cleaner environment. As an industry, we need to continue to work together to demonstrate the huge benefits of renewable energy, to help further increase the consent rates. This research gives great context for the debate about wind energy in Wales and should leave nobody in any doubt that the future of Wales is renewable.”

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David Clubb of RenewableUK-Cymru

The fact that the people of Wales are so pro-renewable is in stark contrast to the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, who has voiced concern over the siting of wind turbines. His son, Prince Harry, also raised the issue when he was in the United States recently. Susan Reilly, chief executive officer of Renewable Energy Systems Americas, said after speaking to the Prince that she had to reassure Harry about the benefits of wind turbines – just as she’d done with his father.

She said: “Prince Harry said he was worried about their visual impact, I told him that I had met his father some years ago and when we discussed wind farms he shared his concerns. But as with Prince Charles, I pointed out that we need to strike a balance between their visual impact and the need for renewable energy for future generations.”

Perhaps Prince Harry and his Father should pay a visit to Wales and discuss their concerns with their subjects there, who appear to have no such qualms about wind power!