Majority of Germans support renewables use and expansion – survey
Clean Energy Wire
An overwhelming but slightly shrinking majority of people in Germany support the expansion of renewable energy, a 2020 poll conducted by YouGov for the Renewable Energy Agency (AEE) shows. Sixty-five percent (66% in 2019) of respondents said increased use and expansion was very or extremely important, while 21 percent (23%) said it was important. “The backing by the population for the expansion of renewable energy continues to be very strong,” said AEE managing director Robert Brandt. Respondents were also asked whether they thought grid expansion and a 100-percent-renewable power production strengthens the economic development in their region. Fifty-seven percent agreed fully or somewhat, and only 9 percent did not agree at all. The poll once again showed that residents with existing renewables installations or fossil power plants in their neighbourhood are more likely to accept new ones nearby.
Germany’s move towards renewables has long enjoyed broad public support, as shown in the recurring survey by AEE. However, the installation of new renewable capacity has to pick up to reach higher climate targets, and new wind farms and major power lines in particular often run into local resistance. The AEE's yearly representative survey was conducted by YouGov, who polled 1,051 people aged 18 and over.
