Majority of Tory voters support renewable energy to cut bills

Conservative voters overwhelmingly support investment in renewable energy to tackle the cost of living crisis, research shows.

A total of 84 per cent of those who backed the Tories at the last election agree the Government should use new wind and solar farms to cut electricity bills, while 81 per cent said they would support a renewable energy project in their area, according to research commissioned by RenewableUK.

The survey suggests the Conservatives risk losing voters if they fail to support renewables.

It comes as new prime minister Liz Truss reversed the government’s ban on fracking today and promised more North Sea drilling as a way to secure more domestic oil and gas production as supplies in Europe come under threat due to the war in Ukraine.

In total, 77 per cent of people throughout the UK think the new Government should use new wind and solar farms to reduce electricity bills, and 76 per cent of people support building renewable energy projects locally.

Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of 2019 Conservative voters think the new Government should end the current block on the onshore wind in England where it has local support – a proposal the Government committed to explore in the Energy Security Strategy.

In contrast, only 16 per cent think the block should remain. There is no majority in favour of the current block in any constituency in England, Scotland or Wales.

RenewableUK’s Chief Executive Dan McGrail said: “These findings are a wake-up call to every politician, including the new prime minister, that the overwhelming majority of people want to see new investment in renewables and are happy to see new wind and solar farms built in their local area to drive energy bills down.

“At a time when we need to shift from expensive gas to low-cost renewables as rapidly as possible, most people agree that if local communities support having a wind farm nearby, the Government shouldn’t stand in their way.”

“We’re keen to work with the new Prime Minister to slash energy bills by building more renewable energy projects faster, which means bringing in a planning system which reflects the widespread public support for these technologies, and setting ambitious targets for clean energy in each of their annual power auctions over the course of this decade. That will also help us to maximise jobs and attract billions in private investment.”