Tuesday 8 August 2023

‘Strong public support’ for new grid development

The majority of the British public supports the development of new electricity grid infrastructure, according to a new survey.

The report, commissioned by RenewableUK, states nearly two-thirds of people (64%) polled favour plans that will enable decarbonisation of the UK economy whereas only 5% oppose it.

Support is even higher among Conservative voters, with 71% in favour and 6% opposed.

Those in favour also said they want more clarity from the government on how the new powerline will increase energy security, create jobs and tackle climate change.

The report follows the recommendations from the Electricity Networks Commissioner, Nick Winser, who published a review on how to speed up building new infrastructure.

Barnaby Wharton, RenewableUK's Director of Future Electricity Systems, said: “This polling shows that, contrary to some widespread misconceptions, most people are actually in favour of building vital new grid infrastructure to connect up clean energy projects and enable them to deliver cheap power to British homes and businesses, increasing our energy security.

“It’s interesting for government to note that Conservative voters support this even more than the general public.”