Solar and wind energy are still by far the most popular sources of energy for Australians, but a new report has thrown up the surprising result that support for coal has risen from 19 per cent to 29 per cent since 2009.
The Newgate research report on Australian’s energy preferences shows Australians are strongly supportive of renewable energy sources – with wind and solar being the most popular of the renewables. However more agree than disagree that coal will remain an essential part of Australia’s economic future.
“Forty-six per cent of people surveyed don’t agree that coal is good for humanity but forty-five percent agree that it is an essential part of our economic future,” th report finds.
Forty-one percent also accept that coal is the world’s principal energy source and is likely to remain so for decades to come,” Newgate Research’s Senior Director, Ms Jasmine Hoye said.
The poll also shows quite a contrast in views between men and women as to which energy source holds the key to Australia’s energy future. Men like fossil fuels a lot more than women, as the graph above shows.
“Men in general are much more supportive of a wider range of energy sources including the least preferred. For example, 45% of men support nuclear energy but that falls to just 14% among women, and only 14% of women support CSG whereas men’s support is at 30%. Similarly more men support coal as an energy source (30%) than women at 20%.”
Ms Hoye said: “Public support for renewables has remained very high since 2007, with net support for solar at 89%, wind at 79% and hydroelectric power at 70% – all recording close to record levels of support.
“Total support for natural gas also remains high at 67%. Opposition to each of natural gas, geothermal energy, hydroelectric, wind and solar energy is at 6% or lower.
“Support for energy from biomass (burning of plant and animal waste to produce energy) has grown from 24% in 2006 to 30% in 2014. This a modest increase perhaps explained by the fact that it ‘sounds natural’, yet many people still don’t know what it is.
“Nuclear energy remains the public’s least favoured energy source, with 45% of people either fairly or very unsupportive of nuclear energy, while CSG is on par with coal for the second least favoured, with 40% unsupportive of CSG,” said Ms Hoye.
