Four in five Irish people support wind farms, while opposition to wind energy has fallen to just 5%, new research has found.
The polling, carried out for Wind Energy Ireland by Interactions Research, also found that 58% of Irish people would support the development of a wind farm in their local area and support generally for wind energy among people living in rural Ireland was at 85%.
Both of these figures are the highest since the tracking poll began in 2018.
The survey also revealed a growth in positive attitudes towards offshore wind with 83% of those polled saying they would help with Ireland’s energy security. However, just 31% felt Ireland was doing enough at present to develop our offshore wind capabilities.
In terms of the recognised benefits of wind power, 45% of people ranked its number one benefit as cheaper electricity, followed by its role in reducing CO2 emissions (22%) and the environment benefits (18%).
Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, welcomed the survey results: “Wind energy is cheaper than fossil fuels, it is clean and it is increasingly popular among Irish people.
“Irish wind farms have helped to protect consumers from the worst effects of an energy crisis driven by our dependency on imported fossil fuels while also saving twice as much in carbon emissions as every other renewable energy technology combined.
“The best way out of this energy crisis is to accelerate the development of renewable energy, to ensure more of our power is provided here, at home, creating Irish jobs, supporting local communities and helping to push down prices.”