Attitudes To Renewable Energy In Devon

Research by MORI shows that the vast majority of Devon residents support the use of renewable energy (86%) and only a small proportion oppose it (two per cent). Support for renewable energy is reflected in high levels of support for wind power (76%) and biomass power (67%).

Almost half of respondents have no strong feelings about the way wind farms look (47%) and the remainder who express an opinion are evenly split; a similar proportion say they like them as don't like them (28% v 24% respectively).

Rural residents are more likely to oppose the use of wind power than urban residents (18% compared to 13% overall), although opposition in rural areas remains lower than one in five.

Technical details

MORI interviewed a representative quota sample of residents aged 16+ in Devon between 2-16 October 2004. A total of 218 interviews were conducted face-to-face, in-home in 13 different sampling points across Devon. Quotas were set on rural and urban location, age, gender and work status to ensure the survey was representative. Data are weighted to match the profile of the population of Devon. The research was commissioned by Regen SW, the renewable energy agency for the South West of England, as part of its role to provide decision makers with reliable and independent evidence on key issues around renewable energy.

Topline Results

• This document provides the topline findings for a survey conducted among the general public in Devon
• 218 interviews were conducted face-to-face, in-home between 2-16 October 2004 at 13 sampling points across Devon — 100 in urban areas and 118 in rural areas (as defined by ONS)
• Data have been weighted to represent the 2001 Census profile data for Devon
• Results are shown overall and for urban and rural areas. Significant differences in the results between urban and rural respondents are highlighted
• Where results do not sum to 100, this may be due to exclusion of no answers, multiple responses, computer rounding or the exclusion of don't knows/not stated
• Results are based on all respondents unless otherwise stated
• An asterisk (*) represents a value of less than one half or one percent, but not zero

Q1a How much would you say you know, if anything, about Wind Power?

Q1b How much would you say you know, if anything, about Biomass Power?

Q2 To what extent do you support or oppose the use of renewable energy generally in Devon (for example, wind and wave power, biomass)?

Q3 To what extent do you support or oppose the use of wind power in Devon?

Q4 Which of the following statements, if any, most closely reflects your views of how wind farms look?

Q5 Looking at this card, which of these statements applies to you?

Q6 Biomass power is the process of generating electricity from energy crops such as wood chips or crops grown especially for their energy content. At small biomass sites equipment is usually housed in shed type buildings, where as a large scale site would probably look more like a factory. To what extent do you support or oppose the use of biomass power in Devon?

Q7 Looking at this card, which of these statements applies to you?

Q8 Meeting Devon's renewable energy target will not be possible without wind power. If it takes 80 turbines to meet Devon's target, how would you prefer to see this achieved?