A detailed survey of Australian attitudes toward the clean energy transition has found that support for onshore wind and solar farms has dropped from last year, even as enthusiasm for home batteries, rooftop solar, and electric vehicles increased. The research, presented at the renewable energy industry's annual summit in Sydney, reveals that Australians are receiving more negative than positive messages about windfarms.
Survey Highlights Perception Gap
The Clean Energy Solutions Index, led by social trends expert Rebecca Huntley, measures “deep support” for various technologies. This year, deep support was highest for home batteries and rooftop solar, and it improved for major infrastructure such as transmission lines. However, support for onshore wind and solar farms declined.
Huntley said anti-wind campaigns promoted by conservative groups have been “extremely effective” in undermining community support. “All that these campaigns need to do is create the perception that other people think [windfarms] are a bad idea,” she said. “It isn’t difficult at this stage to get people to think renewable energy is a good idea. But you can get people to think there is no social licence for a fast transition.”
Misperceptions About Renewable Generation
The index also found that Australians tend to overestimate opposition to the clean energy transition and underestimate the amount of electricity already generated from renewables. Well over half (62%) of Australians believe renewables supply less than 30% of electricity in the main eastern market, but the actual figure is 46%.
Huntley noted that Donald Trump’s attack on Iran and the subsequent fuel crisis had boosted enthusiasm for electric vehicles. However, she warned that renewable projects face an “existential threat” because companies are failing to properly share benefits with regional and rural communities hosting them.
Clean Energy Council Calls for National Scheme
At the summit, Clean Energy Council chief executive Jackie Trad told the industry it has a “fundamental problem” with trust in regional and rural Australia. “Our intentions are sincere. Our product is clean. But go looking for the research that says regional communities trust the renewable energy industry, and you will not find it. It does not exist,” Trad said.
She called for a nationwide, legislated scheme that would require renewables companies to pay local councils for every megawatt hour of electricity generated by projects over their lifetime. “Regional Australia is being asked to host the machinery of our energy security. The least we can do is make sure the towns that host it share squarely in the wealth it creates,” Trad said.
Huntley echoed the need for better benefit-sharing, asking: “In 50 years as Australians wander around renewable energy zones, what can they point to that was built off the back of wind turbines?” She noted that previous resource booms in coal, gas, and gold had built community infrastructure such as halls and arts centres.
