UK

New polling across England, Scotland and Wales shows strong public backing for the UK’s energy infrastructure programme, with clear priorities centred on jobs, climate change and economic strength, rather than visual appearance.

The results of the polling, undertaken by Early Studies and commissioned by a group of leading energy trade associations, challenge a long-standing assumption in planning debates. They find that visual impact, which is often cited as a leading objection, is in fact the lowest-ranked concern for the public, with just 11% of respondents selecting it as a main consideration for future energy needs.

This view is consistent across the political spectrum, from 12% of Labour and Conservative voters to 11% of Reform UK voters and 10% of both Liberal Democrat and Green Party voters, highlighting near unanimous national alignment.

Instead, the public is focused on the practical outcomes of energy infrastructure such as lower bills, secure livelihoods and a strong, growing economy.

Significantly larger portions of the public prioritise industrial competitiveness (39%), reducing air pollution (37%) and protecting existing jobs (25%).

Importantly, this does not mean people and developers are unconcerned about where and how infrastructure is built. Rather, it shows that visual impact is not as high a priority as is often presented in planning debates, and the public is prepared to support infrastructure that drives growth and job creation even when there is a visual impact.

It remains essential, however, for infrastructure developers to continue working with communities, particularly in areas where we are seeing cumulative impacts from development of multiple projects.

The findings underline strong support for delivering energy infrastructure at pace, helping the UK strengthen its resilience against global price shocks, volatile energy markets and supply disruptions, while accelerating the transition to clean power.

Although visual impact continues to feature prominently in planning debates, this new data shows it does not reflect the priorities of most people. Across communities and political divides, the focus is firmly on building a competitive, secure and future-ready energy system.

With energy projects being developed across the country, strong public support for investment, job protection and a stronger British industry is a welcome signal.

Alfred Malmros, co-founder of Early Studies, said:

“We’re encouraged by the results, which show strong public support for energy infrastructure focused on energy security, climate change, jobs and a competitive UK industry. These priorities far outweigh concerns about visual impact, and reinforce the importance of delivering the infrastructure needed to ensure we have a secure supply of electricity. for clean, secure power. Renewable energy is an infinite source which can’t be controlled by other countries, and is already lowering wholesale electricity costs. With all its economic and security benefits, it’s clear clean power is the future our public wants.”

Olivia Powis, CEO of the CCSA, added:

“Carbon capture and storage infrastructure is essential to protecting and creating skilled jobs, delivering flexible low-carbon energy and the long-term competitiveness of British industry. This polling shows the public back the benefits that clean energy projects, such as carbon capture, can bring to communities across the UK.”

Aaron Gould, Interim CEO of ADE said:

“Voters care about cutting bills, protecting jobs and strengthening energy security. To deliver that, we need to start making best use of British renewable power and recover the heat from things like data centres. The best way to do this is by embracing a demand-led energy system, and building out modern networks for heat and power that befit a modern society – so we wring every ounce of value from the energy we generate.”

Dhara Vyas, Chief Executive Officer of Energy UK, said:

“Modernisation and expansion of our infrastructure is essential to meet the needs of the current and future energy system and to ensure we can maximise the potential of our clean energy resources. The impact of new developments can understandably be a concern for those nearby – so mitigating these and ensuring local communities benefit remains important – but it’s positive to see that the public appreciate the wider picture and understand that benefits like energy security, greater competitiveness, jobs and lower bills depend on building new infrastructure.”

Charlotte Lee, HPA UK Chief Executive commented:

“The findings demonstrate clear public support for the energy transition and the infrastructure needed to deliver it. At a time when energy transition policies are under increasing scrutiny, the results show people increasingly view low-carbon technologies, including heat pumps, as an economic opportunity to support jobs, strengthen UK competitiveness and crucially enhance our energy security.”

Clare Jackson, CEO of Hydrogen UK, said:

“These findings show that clean energy infrastructure is not an abstract debate for the UK public. We have a responsibility to protect skilled jobs, strengthen British industry, cut exposure to volatile international energy markets and deliver a low carbon transition that supports UK energy security. The British public understands those priorities, and we know hydrogen will play a key role. Businesses have the tools to deliver – but we need a clear and consistent policy framework from government to embed resilience into our clean energy ecosystem.”

Tom Greatrex, Nuclear Industry Association Chief Executive, added:

“This polling shows that the public backs clean power investment when it means energy security, lower bills and good skilled jobs. Nuclear provides all three.

“As recent global crises have shown, Britain needs all the sovereign clean power it can get, which means backing new clean energy infrastructure and ensuring it is delivered at pace and at scale in a way that is proportionate and focused on outcomes. That means cutting unnecessary delays, giving investors confidence and getting projects built so families and businesses can benefit from reliable, homegrown clean power for decades to come.”

Trevor Hutchings, CEO of the REA, said:

“This survey reinforces what we already know: there is strong support for renewable energy and while we must not ignore concerns about energy infrastructure on communities, visual impact, which is often cited as reasons to reject a development, is in fact the lowest-ranked issue for the public. What the public does care about is greater security, growth and jobs, and to get a grip on their energy bills. This is what home-grown clean energy will do.

For the second time in four years, we have a fossil fuel energy crisis driving up bills and slowing the economy, and so the case for home grown clean energy has never been clearer.”

Tara Singh, CEO of RenewableUK, commented:

“Whilst we have a duty to ensure that only the most suitable projects get built in the right places, these results are a clear indication that the public understands how crucial homegrown clean energy is to our security and recognises the urgent need to bolster our ability to withstand price shocks by accelerating the rollout of energy infrastructure. The Government’s latest plans to limit the number of Judicial Reviews that can be logged against wind farms and grid expansion are a welcome first step, and we are calling on them to ensure billpayers across the country feel the benefits as soon as possible by further streamlining the planning system and minimising unnecessary delays.”

Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, said:

“Modernising and expanding Scotland’s clean energy infrastructure will be essential to delivering long-term energy security and economic resilience. Whilst meaningful engagement with local communities must remain central to new developments, it is encouraging to see broad public recognition of the vital role energy infrastructure will play in supporting our future prosperity. As we move forward, industry and government must continue working together to reduce delays and unlock the full value of clean energy projects for the country.”

Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK, added:

“We have long known that clean energy is highly popular, especially so for solar power. But the huge increase in the public’s appreciation for the sector’s role in bolstering energy security and its support for energy storage, as revealed by this study, are new and vital factors in the energy debate. It shows how voices opposed to the energy transition are fundamentally out of touch.”

Further information on the polling data cited is available here.