Conservative MPs have ‘negative associations’ about renewable energy,
according to new research.
Dods interviewed MPs about their attitudes towards renewable power
generation and its prospects in the UK.
The results will be discussed at a Renewable Energy dialogue roundtable
event to be held in Parliament on the 26th of November 2013.
The key findings are:
* Conservative respondents generally have negative associations about
renewables, with cost chief among them. Labour respondents also have some
concerns over costs, but were much more likely to acknowledge environmental
benefits.
* Renewables score relatively poorly on energy security or independence
when compared to nuclear power, gas and oil. This holds true for both
Conservative and Labour respondents.
* Despite this, a majority (56%) of Conservative respondents agree that
renewables will improve UK energy security, but are less sure of the
economic benefits (35%). Labour respondents were much more positive.
When renewables were tested against gas, nuclear and oil in terms of their
contributions to the UK’s energy security or independence they performed
poorly relative to the other sources. The best-performing renewable source
– offshore wind – lagged significantly behind oil, appearing in only 22% of
respondent’s top three rankings.
Conservative respondents were even more sceptical than the average: only
13% placed offshore wind in their top three as compared to 26% of Labour
respondents.
The MPs polled also said the planning regime is seen as a disadvantage for
UK renewables projects, while R&D and resource potential are perceived as
advantages.
Conservative respondents are much more sceptical about public attitudes
towards renewables than are their Labour counterparts.
Respondents’ attitudes towards renewable energy are mixed, with positive
comments (such as “clean” or “green”) being balanced by negatives
(“Expensive”, “Costly”).
A definite party bias emerges, with Conservatives being less likely to make
positive comments (nine Conservative comments said clean or green, as
compared with 22 Labour comments to that effect).
Whereas Conservatives made 25 comments that renewables were expensive,
costly or inefficient, only 11 such comments came from Labour respondents.
Conservatives were least confident about the investment environment, access
to finance and public support for renewables (30% believed the first two
factors were advantages, 23% thought public support was an advantage).
Labour respondents were less enthusiastic in general, with only two factors
being seen as an advantage by a majority: research and development (which
enjoyed 72% support); and resource potential (66%). Labour respondents were
extremely sceptical about the tax and planning regimes, with only 28% and
18% respectively scoring them as advantages.
Conservatives were markedly more sceptical, with only 56% believing that
renewables would improve energy security and only 35% believing renewables
benefitted the economy. The comparable figures for Labour respondents were
84% and 86% respectively.
Conservatives were also doubtful of renewables’ ability to keep UK energy
prices stable in the long term, with 65% disagreeing with this statement.
Only 12% of Labour respondents did likewise, whereas 50% said they agreed
with it.
Between 2nd and 16th September 2013, Dods interviewed 102 Members of
Parliament online on their attitudes towards renewable power generation and
its prospects in the UK. These numbers reflect total interviews actually
conducted. In the rest of the presentation the figures used are weighted by
party to reflect the political composition of the House of Commons.
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